The Irken And The Earthling's War And Love
by TwilightBloodBell
Summary: Gaz is attacked and slips into a coma, telling Dib he must recruite the Irkens to fight alongside humans to defeat a new foe, one out for both human and Irken blood. But, can Irkens and Earthlings get along? If so, what will become of Zim and Dib? ZaDr!
1. Last words

The Irken And The Earthling's War And Love  
Chapter 1  
~Last Words~  
Rated: Teen.  
Rated For: Language, violence, and blood.

_I do not own Invader Zim and never will. It belongs to it's creators. I have mearly made this fanfiction out of love for the series._

_By the way, this is a ZaDr story, which means it's a Zim X Dib pairing. Just a warning to people who aren't into it. That's all. Now, on with the story! ^^_

He opened his eyes slowly, and scanned the dark hues untill his eyes focused. He slowly sat up in his bed, and looked out the window to his right. The sky was pitch black, aside from the bright lights of the moon and stars which dotted the sky endlessly. With a sigh, he turned his head towards the alarm clock on the night stand. It was 2:33 in the morning, and he was exhausted. He couldn't sleep though, and he really didn't understand why.

"Gahh....Zim...." He complained to the darkness in his room. "Zim just won't give up and return to his own planet, will he? What is an Irken's planet like, anyways? Better yet, why do I care?" Dib sighed. "Nobody believes me no matter what weird things he does....then again, almost everyone on this planet is retarded..." He shook his head lightly. "Well, I better try to sleep. Maybe tommorrow I'll feel a bit better." He said quietly.

Dib laid back down as he covered himself with the blanket. He curled up in a ball as he stared aross the room at the other wall. He closed his eyes, and tried to relax himself, but he felt...anxious. 'What's going to happen tommorrow..? There's always something new.' He thought. 'But...it feels different than normal. Why?' He then slowly drifted off into sleep...

~Skool, Morning~

Dib slowly walked into the room to see all seats filled aside from the few stragglers, including Zim. He walked over to his seat, dropped his backpack on top of the desk, then sat down. He straightned his coat a little as the little alien walked into the room. Dib glared at Zim as he made his way to his desk to sit down.

"So Zim, what are you going to do today? Shoot me with lasers, maybe sick your dog on me?" Dib sarcastically cracked at the now seated alien.

Zim looked over at Dib innocently. "Oh, would I ever do that to you?" He asked in an innocent tone.

"Com'on Dib, don't you think you take this stuff over board?" One of the girls in the class asked.

"Yeah Dib, Zim never does anything. Why are you always so mean to him?" One of the boys inquired.

"Yeah, why are you so into aliens?" Another boy asked.

"Why are you so weird?!" A girl asked.

Soon the entire room was bombarding him with questions. The teacher glared at the clock as she impatiently tapped her fingers on her desk. Dib sighed as he looked down at the desk. Zim smirked like he had done something miraculous by riling up the whole room.

The school bell rang, and the teacher cleared her throat loudly to catch the attention of the students. "Alright, all of you shut up already. We all know Dib has something wrong with his brain, there's no need to bother him about it." She said.

Dib shot her a quick glare as Zim stifled a laugh.

"Now, take out your text books." She barked at the class.

Dib unzipped his bag and reached his hand inside. He felt around for the hard texture of the book, but all he felt was notebook covers, pens, pencils, and erasers. He then pulled his hand out and looked around inside, attempting to find the book, but to no avail.

Everyone already had their textbooks on their desks and opened. Dib looked up nervously at the teacher as he zipped the bag shut. "Umm....I can't find my book." He said quietly, causing the whole room to look at him.

"What?" The teacher asked. She glared him down, making him shrink back into his seat more. "If that's the case, then share with someone." She said, apparently not thrilled.

Dib looked around the classroom as everyone stared at him nervously, like they were afraid of him looking on with them. "Uhh...will somebody let me read on with them?" He asked as a droplet of sweat slid down the right side of his face. Nobody made a sound.

"Dib, find someone!" The teacher yelled at the small boy, her face growing red with anger.

"Please..?" Dib squeaked out to the room. Still nobody responded, but Zim smiled a huge smile at the boy's dismay.

"That's it!" The teacher slammed her hand down on her own textbook. "Dib! Read on with Zim! Stop wasting my time!!" She yelled at him.

Dib turned around to stare at her in shock. "ZIM?! Why him?!!" He yelled at her.

"BEACAUSE I SAID SO!!!" She screamed, making every human in the room shrink back in their seats.

Dib sprung to his feet, snagged his bag, and bolted to the alien's seat. There were no extra seats in the room, and the desks around the green Irken's desk were filled with humans, so Dib stood there looking around, trying to figure out what the hell he could do. He sighed as he relised he could do nothing but stand, so he dropped his pack on the floor an turned towards the alien's desk.

"Class, turn to page 121. Quickly!" The woman bitched.

Zim opened the book and reached the correct page. He then looked up at Dib. The human was giving Zim a very sour look by just standing in his presence. Zim just smiled at the boy, causing him to turn his look even more sour than it was.

"Dib, read the first four paragraphs to the class." The teacher commanded, trying to pester the annoyed kid more than he already was.

With a sigh, Dib looked down at the page. Zim's claw was stretched across the page. Across the part of the page Dib needed to read. Dib growled a low, deadly growl at the alien as he looked up at the human with a devious smirk.

"Dib! Read the page already!!" The woman yelled at the boy.

"Zim won't let me read the page!" Dib whined in retaliation.

"Well, that's not my problem! You should have brought your own book, if you had, you wouldn't have this problem now, would you?" The teacher said.

"Yeah..." Dib muttered. He then looked down at the alien. "Zim let me read the page." He said.

"Oh, but I didn't hear that...polite word...did I?" He questioned slowly as his smirk widened.

Dib shot a full-on glare at the Irken. "P-L-E-A-S-E..." He said loudly, slowly, each letter rang out dramatically long.

Zim turned his grin into a kind smile. "No." He said simply. Then, to annoy the human further, he added "Thank you for asking, but my hand is comfortable right where it is."

Dib was about to smash the alien's claw with his fist at this point. "Com'on Zim!!" He yelled as he wrapped his human fingers around the Irken's clawed fingers, trying to pry the claws off of the book's page.

"I said NO, human filth!!!" The Irken yelled back, using his strength to not let his claw be taken away from the book.

"Zim!!!" Dib yelled, as he clutched the alien's claw with his whole hand, trying to pry the entire claw off all together now.

"Dib, that's enough!!" The teacher yelled, changing her mind about the whole entire situation. She then pulled out a pink slip of paper as she started to write a detention for Dib, and Dib alone.

Dib was tired of dealing with everyone's BS, though. He started to dig his nails into the alien's claw, which in turn made Zim very upset. He then took the claw he didn't want to take off the book, and suddenly smacked Dib across the face with the back of his claw. This made Dib immediatly release Zim's claw on contact, and his head twirled to the right with the force. He slowly turned his head towards Zim, to reveal four long scratches on his left cheek, which were starting to quickly bleed. The class went dead silent as the warm blood started to slide down his face, intertwining and creating a huge streak of blood just flowing down his face. Zim just stared up at the boy, a bit afraid as he didn't actually mean to do this at all. He was just upset, and wasn't being careful.

Dib knelt to the floor and grabbed the strap of his pack, then swung it over one shoulder. He then stood, and slowly, made his way to the teacher's desk. He just silently stood there, awaiting a pass to go to the nurse. The teacher was smart enough to know that's what he wanted, so she grabbed the nurse's pass, an handed that, along with the detention, to the child. Dib then walked out of the room, and towards the nurse's office.

Zim looked down at his claw that he struck the Earthling with. There was blood covering the tips of each claw. It happened so fast that it had the Irken in a bit of shock. He may be enemies with Dib, but he doesn't like to cover his hands in blood....especially in real blood. The teacher started to read herself as the Irken stared at the blood on his claw.

~Skool, Nurse's Office~

Dib arrived and walked over to the counter. The blood was still dripping all over the place, and it wouldn't let up much. She looked up at him, and her face turned a tad worried. "Umm...what happened to you?" She asked him.

Dib just shook his head. "Nevermind...um, could you please take care of it?" He asked.

She nodded and pulled a first aid kit out from a shelf below. "Hey Audrey! We have a bleeder!! Get the stiches out!" The nurse called.

Dib sighed. This day just sucked. "Can I...please go home after this..?" He asked quietly.

"Sure. We'll call your father, alright?" The nurse asked. Dib nodded sadly in response.

~Dib's Home, Afternoon~

Dib sat glumly on the couch as he flipped through the channel's on the television rapidly, not giving a channel more than four seconds before changing it to the next station. The four deep scratches on his face were stiched, and they hurt somewhat. With a sigh, Dib punched in the channel number for the news, then tossed the remote on the otherside of the couch.

Dib yawned as he leaned back against the couch. The news was talking about some dog almost getting run over by a car. He didn't really pay much attention as he felt his eyes growing heavy. Well, he didn't pay much attention until he heard this.

"The dog seemed to be running from something. A witness saw a strange, what he described to be an "alien", attcking this dog before it ran into the street." Dib's jaw dropped as he continued to listen to the news reporter. "The witness describes this "alien" life-form to "have light blue scaley skin, black eyes with white pupils, around the size of an adult human, and to look somewhat human in basic shape, such as having legs, arms, a head, and other things like a human has, for the most part. We don't know what this witness saw for sure, but if this thing turns up again, we will provide as much information as we can."

By the end of that sentence, Dib had already disappeared...

~Zim's Home~

Zim arrived at his home. "Finally! I'm finally home. GIR!" He called to the front door as he reached it.

The door swung open as the two robots who were supposed to represent Zim's "parents" came forth welcoming him home. Then GIR in his little doggie suit ran out of the door, and clung to Zim. Zim let him cling to him, but with a sour look on his face. "...Hello GIR." He said. He blinked. "Now GET OFF OF ME!!" He yelled.

GIR let go and stood staring up at his master blankly. He then looked past Zim, into the front yard. "Hello spikey-haired Earthling." He said happily.

"What?" Zim asked as he turned around. His eyes landed on the one human that annoyed him the most on this planet; Dib. Dib was glaring at the alien with crossed arms, the reflection of the sunlight on his glasses only enhanced the glare to be more menacing.

"Zim! I know what you did! Showing yourself in public, you're really getting over confident in yourself, aren't you?" He called to the Irken.

Zim tilted his head to the side, genuinely confused by this. "What are you talking about, Dib?" He asked.

"Stop playing innocent with me, alien!" Dib shot back. "You better know your limits, I won't let you hurt anyone!" He yelled as his left hand slid to his wounded cheek.

Zim cocked an eyebrow. "Um....what ARE you talking about, human?" He asked again.

Dib gritted his cheek. "From now on, I'll be doing some night patrols! You'll see!! You can't get away from this forever!!!" He yelled. He then took off down the street, heading towards his own home.

Zim turned back to his companion GIR, seeing him just sitting on the floor of the living room smiling up at him. "GIR, do you know what he was talking about?" Zim asked, so confused by his encounter with Dib that he can't even remember that GIR knows almost nothing about anything.

GIR scratched his head. "I don't..." He said in a drawn out way. "Want me to look?" GIR asked.

Zim blinked in surprise. "You actually want to look into this..? Actually want to find information about this??" He asked the small robot.

GIR blinked. "I want to run around outside!" He yelled cheerfully.

Zim sighed as he face-palmed. "Fine, GIR. Go run around somewhere..." He said. "But keep the dog suit on and don't attack anything, got it? Not now...I need to look into what that human was talking about." He said.

"YAY!!!" GIR yelled happily as he threw his hands up in the air. He then took off to run around outside for a while. Zim mearly shook his head and walked in the house, shutting the front door behind himself.

He headed towards the trash barrel at the other end of his house. 'Dib...what was he talking about? I never wish to reveal my identity to the public eye of human filth.' He thought.

Zim arrived in the kitchen, and walked straight over to the trash can. He stomped on the pedal that made the lid pop up. He then jumped up onto the lip of the can, and hopped onto the platform inside, and waited patiently as the platform lowered slowly and the trash can's lid shut.

The platform slowly lowered down the long tube to the floor far, far below. Zim hopped off the platform and walked over to the computer he had down there. He switched through a few screens on it, then came across a newer addition to his computer. It was an area scan initiation, and this worked by GIR. "If GIR is on a walk, I can use this, and he will automatically record everything he sees onto this computer, and I can watch it in case he sees something suspicious that could give me clues." He said to himself. He pressed the button to initiate this command and kicked back in his chair as a screen popped up showing what GIR was seeing.

~Meanwhile, Dib's Home~

Dib was up in his room preparing for the night's patrol. He sat cross-legged on his bed with a laptop sitting in front of him. He was looking on the Internet about anything weird he could find on this thing that was reported on the news, but there were no reports listed on it. There wasn't even a report about it on the news's main website, which he found strange. On top of that, he had the news channel on, and it's been on for hours, but nothing more had come up about the report.

'This is really weird....maybe it was a dream, maybe I dremt that I saw that report on the television.' Dib thought to himself. 'Or maybe...maybe the report was casted only once. Perhaps it was, I mean, first of all, no kids were home at the time because of school. Also, most adults would be working at that time, aisde from people with night jobs, who would be sleeping.' Dib's eyes widened as he realised he was onto something. 'If I'm right, then either they think the witness is crazy, or they're trying to cover this up. Maybe the witness forced them to put the report up, and they agreed to show it only once, when nobody was home.'

Dib nodded at the thought. 'I bet they're covering it up. But then again, everyone thinks I'm crazy, so maybe they honestly don't believe the witness. In fact, the witness could be going to great lengths to get them to report it.' He thought. He then looked over at the television in his room. He hopped off the bed and walked over to the old VHS player he still had. He grabbed a blank tape, popped it in, and grabbed the remote. He then clicked through a couple of menu options, and set the thing to record some of the news casts tommorrow, around the times when nobody is home, in case something more on the situation is reported.

He glared at the screen as he shut it off. 'Zim...I will stop you. I bet you've either run through the city in your true form and that witness was very color blind, or you've unleashed something into the city.' He thought to himself. The only thing that confused him at this point, were the alien's eyes. 'Thing is....Zim doesn't have pupils in his eyes. They're just...red.' He then expanded his thoughts even more. 'Then again...he's extremely short, and the witness saw something very tall. If it's tall....then what IS it..?' He shook his head as he went back over to his bed. 'I'll worry about this tonight, for now, I need to prepare for the night.' He thought as he climbed back up on his bed. He then went back to typing on the laptop, trying to find more information, if he could.

~Dusk, Zim's Home~

Zim had his head proped on his hand as his elbow stuck to the chair's arm like glue. His eyes were half lidded as he watched the screen before him. It was moving up and down rapidly, just showing streets, sidewalks, trees, nothing out of the ordinary.

"Three hours..." Zim said aloud in the darkness of the underground base. "It's been three hours, and GIR has found absolutely, positively, NOTHING useful." He grounded out. He gritted his teeth as a growl erupted from his throat. "THIS IS REDUICULOUS!!! Why can't that HUMAN FILTH just explain himself to me?!!" He yelled as he sprung out of his seat.

Zim stomped around the room, angry, wanting to kick Dib's ass, and tempted to plan something to annihilate the black-haired boy. He saw a random box sitting on the floor, and figured immediately that GIR must have left that there. He stormed over to it and kicked it with such force, it slammed into the keyboard of one of the computers in the room, and the screen started flashing white.

"What did I do?!" He yelled out of anger as a weird sound, like a key continuously being pressed rapidly, went off. He ran over to the computer and shoved the box onto the floor. He then stared up at the computer's screen as the flashing stopped. The screen turned black, and then green words started to flow continuously across the screen. He tilted his head to the side and then tried pushing different buttons, like escape, delete, control, alter and delete, but nothing worked.

"Evil computer! Work already!!" He yelled at the screen. He turned his head towards the screen with GIR's line of vision on it, to see he was mearly running around a tree right now. He sighed from annoyance, shook his head, and focused his attention on the computer he's screwed up, to try to fix it.

~Meanwhile, Dib's Home~

Dib was almost completely ready for the patrol as he slipped his other boot on. He looked over to his left to see he had a small arsenal of weapons laid out on the bed he sat on, consisting of a combat knife, a laser gun, and a small handgun. He slipped the combat knife in his coat's left sleeve, in a small inner sheath made for quick access. He designed it so he can remove it when he didn't want it as part of his coat. He equipted the laser gun in a holster on his belt on the left side, and the handgun went in a holster on the right side. He had a couple of small bullet cases on the bed as well, to his right, and he grabbed them and stuffed then into his back pockets of his jeans. Wearing his normal clothes, of course, he was prepared to go out into the night to patrol. He figured he'd be out untill about 11 or midnight, so he was prepared to be pretty tired in school the following morning, but he didn't care. Earth's safety was his number one priority at this point.

Dib got up and walked over to the window. He unlocked it, so he could get in and out of it without anyone knowing. He started to open the window slightly, but froze at the loud voice of his father from downstairs.

"Daughter!! Where do you think your going, young lady?! I'm not finished speaking to you!" Dib heard his father, Professor Membrane, yell at his sister.

"To my room, Dad!" She yelled back. Dib slowly closed his window back down completely.

"Daughter! You got an F! Why?! What on Earth have you been doing that's so important that you get an F?! And in science, of all subjects!!" Dib heard his father yell.

"Look, I just did, alright?! It's not that big of a deal!" Gaz retaliated.

"Yes it is, daughter!" Dib's father yelled back.

"Why?! Are you going to feed me more of that "it's for your future" trash?! Just drop it already!!" Gaz screamed.

Dib slowly made his way to his room's door, and slowly opened it, soundlessly, so he could listen in. It wasn't often that his father and his sister fought.

"Daughter, your future is important, but if you want another reason, it's because your much smarter than this! I kno-"

"Whatever!! This is stupid! I'm leaving!!!" Gaz yelled. Dib then heard her fast foot steps, then a loud bang.

"Gaz!! Wait a minute!! Don't leave the house, that's dangerous!" Dib's father yelled. The house then became unsettlingly quiet.

Dib shook his head as he silently shut his door, then locked it. He ran to his window and opened it wide. He was worried about his sister, and his father was right, especially with aliens around, everything was dangerous these days. He hopped out the window onto the roof that was just below it, he shut the window most of the way, then reached his left hand into his front jeans pocket and pulled out a small, hard, wooden square block, and stuffed it in the window cill. He then shut the window on it. This left the window open wide enough for Dib to open it from the outside, but not to be noticable for other's to try to break into his room.

He then spun around, ran foward, jumped towards a huge flagpole that was on the lawn, and gripped his hand around it enough for him to swing around it and land on the ground. It was a bit of a rough landing that made him drop to one knee and one foot, but he stood up after a few seconds of pain, and bolted towards the very front of the house. He had enough time to look down both sides of his street, and see Gaz take off down one of the streets, turning to the right and out of his sight. He charged down that street, and headed left in search of his angry sister.

~Meanwhile, Zim's Home~

Zim was sitting in the chair again, panting slightly. He had just fixed the computer finally, and was now watching GIR's vision again. He was hoping the small robot would bring in SOMETHING he could use, but he was a bit doubtful at this point. All he could do was wait and see.

~Back To Dib, 10 Minutes Later~

Dib was breathing hard as he continued to run after Gaz. He was glad he knew the city as well as he did, something he could...KIND OF thank Zim for, since Zim kept him on his feet all the time. He turned another corner around a random building, then slid to a stop, almost falling on the pavement of the sidewalk, but catching himself as his hand thrusted down, and he dropped to one knee. He looked up at what made him slide to a stop.

Gaz, his sister, was lying down in the middle of the street a tad bit ahead of him. She had a huge bruise on her head and she was a bit scratched up here and there. "GAZ!!!" Dib yelled as he ran over to her. He dropped to his knees beside her, lifted her head into his own arms, and propped her up against him. She was staring up at him with zoned-out eyes. "Gaz! What happened to you?!" Dib asked loudly.

Her eyes turned from completely not there, to half zoned-out and half annoyed. "...Your bleeding on me." She said quietly.

Dib looked down and saw that the hand he used to catch his fall was scraped and thus getting her hair a little bloody, but he shook his head. "Who cares? Gaz, tell me what happened to you!" He said, concerned about her no matter how badly she treated him.

Gaz sighed as her eyes dropped to her own hands, which she twitched a bit now and then. "....I don't know what it was, but it attacked me. About 5 minutes ago, it attacked me." She started saying. "It had blue skin, not green like your friend." She mentioned.

Dib growled with anger. "Zim isn't my friend!!" He yelled.

"Relax..." Gaz took a deep breath to finish what she had to say. "Dib...I know it's some sort of alien, but it spoke to me. It said that humans and Irkens must all die, then it attacked me." She said. "Something....something else told me this as I was attacked. It said th-that if humans and Irkens work together...humans have the knowl..age to defeat them, and I-Irkens have the technology to...ah..." Gaz choked the end out as she shook in pain.

"GAZ!!" Dib screamed.

Gaz slowly shook her head. "The knowl.....he......t......sa....." Her voice mumbled.

"Gaz...I can't hear what your saying..." Dib said quietly to the girl.

Gaz grabbed Dib's shirt's collar and pulled on it hard, lowering his head towards her. She lifted her head so his ear matched the level of her mouth. "....The Heart...." She whispered. She then started coughing and Dib jerked his head away from her to look down at her.

"Gaz..." He whispered as he watched her frantically cough.

Suddenly, a flash of light shot out of the darkness and struck her in the head. Gaz went limp and Dib jerked his head up to see the strange being that's been the talk of the day, today. He softly put his sister into an as-comfortable-as-possible position on the street, then he slipped his coat off quickly and tossed it over her to keep her as warm as he could for right now. He then quickly got up on his feet as the alien approched the two siblings.

"YOU!!! You hurt Gaz, didn't you?!" He yelled at the being.

The alien blinked at him, then cracked a wide, twisted grin as it beared it's large, plentiful fangs. "Humans....sensitive, slow responsive creatures. They disgust me. You humans match with Irkens all too well, those creatures that aren't as sensitive, but respond too fast. I hate you ALL!!!" It screamed as it charged foward.

Dib pulled his laser gun out and started shooting it, causing the alien to freeze in its tracks as it laughed at him. "HUMAN!!! Your weapons may hurt but they'll NEVER be as effective as an Irken's weapon is!!" The alien yelled at the human boy.

Dib growled, unsure of how to handle this situation. This...thing, just attacked his sister, and now it's threatening the two, bashing his weapons....COMPARING humans to IRKENS. He snagged the handgun quickly and started firing it away. He was happy that it was a semi-auto as four bullets plunged their way into the alien's skin.

The alien's eyes narrowed in annoyance. "Humans...they never know when to quit. Just~like~Irkens." He emphisised the last three words as he noticed the human's annoyance at the word Irken.

"WE'RE NOTHING LIKE IRKENS!!!" Dib screamed as he shot both laser gun and handgun at the beast as it charged once again. This time it didn't stop, and it slashed up Dib's shoulder with a swift swing of it's left claw, causing Dib to scream out in pain. This was worse than the wound he endured from Zim's claw. Much worse.

The alien then jumped off to the side, making some good distance away from the boy. It smirked up at him as it wiped a bit of blood off its face from the wound of a bullet. The alien's blood was black, and it was pouring out of most of the wounds it had, but not much blood came from the ones that bled, anyways. "Humans and Irkens could make such powerful allies...if only they could get past their pride to work together, but you can't can you?" It cackled evily. "That's because your all so weak~" It's voice rang out easilly.

Dib furrowed his eyebrows more in anger. He dropped the laser gun and let it connect with the hard ground. As it connected, he felt a single raindrop hit him. Then the rain started to pour down heavilly. This alien seemed absolutely unaffected by the water as it came down, so it obviously wasn't an Irken at this point, considering Zim's skin burns at even a molecule of water touching it. Dib lowered his head as a smirk washed over his face. He wasn't happy....he was so annoyed that all he wanted to do was laugh. He felt his body wrack with a huge urge to laugh, but refused to let the sounds out.

The alien smiled at the boy. It then rush foward to slash his chest this time, but as it came towards Dib, he quickly ducked down to his coat and pulled out his combat knife, then slashed the alien as it approched him, catching it off guard and causing it to speed over the boy and his sister and end up behind Dib. Dib grinned as he stood and spun around, pleased that he was so smart for a human being. He held up the knife. "Oh, so what was that about weapons?" He asked as his grin turned into a cocky smirk.

The alien glared at him. "If I was armed with some of MY weapons, you'd be dead already, kid." It said. "For now, I will retreat. When I return, you better watch your back child, because I will be the last thing you EVER see." It said darkly. Then, a huge rush of wind blew, and Dib dropped to his knees as he held onto his sister, and when he looked back up, the alien was gone.

"...." He didn't know what to say about the entire situation. He decided to think about it later. His head dropped to his sister, and he quickly stuffed the guns in their holsters. He then slipped his coat on, and slipped the knife in it's inner sheath. He then slowly, carefully, picked his sister up, and started to quickly move towards his house. He needed to get his father to bring her to a hospital; and fast.

~Meanwhile, Back At Zim's Home~

Zim watched the screen as the night drew closer. It was pouring ouside, but the dog suit that GIR was wearing was special and would provide the protection the robot needed to stop him from getting wet. Aside from that, Zim figured that GIR was so...so much on a lower level than himself, that it probably would not affect him anyways. At least not affect GIR like it affects himself.

Zim continued to watch, hoping to see SOMETHING useful. SOMETHING that he could get a good grasp on. Finally, the endless hours of wanting to see something had finally paid off. GIR's vision picked up on that something that he wanted.

GIR started to speak after being silent aside from making silly sounds from having fun. "WOAH!! It's getting windy!!" He exclaimed as the line of vision started to drift slightly to the right. Then, from the left of the screen to the right, a tall floating figure with blue skin, black eyes with white pupils, a somewhat similar shape to Irkens or humans aside from some differences in things such as foot shape, and with extremely large claws and fangs that were beared, went by. Zim leaned forward as he heard GIR curiously say, "What was that?"

Zim thought about what he just saw. He then opened up a window with all of the footage taken from GIR's vision and fast-fowarded it towards the part he just witnessed. He muted the window with GIR's current vision and minimized it as he enlarged the one with the playback. He re-watched the unknown alien float by. He then noticed something strange and re-wound it. He paused it as it was almost in the center of the screen and zoomed it in on its claw. He was lucky, since the right side of the alien faced him, it happened to have its other claw raise above its body so he could see it. As he zoomed into its claw, he finally realised what he was seeing; it was blood.

~Dib's Home, 10 Minutes Later~

Dib arrived at the door, then kicked on it. His father opened it and looked down to see any parent's worse nightmare; his bleeding son holding his unconsious daughter. "Dib?! What happened?!!" He asked, completely perplexed at everything, his whole mind turning to mush in the matter of a few seconds.

"Dad, call an ambulance! Gaz got attacked!!" He yelled. Even though Dib was concerned over his sister, he had the time to thank whoever is listening out there for helping him hide his weapons from his father's eyes right now. That would only make him worry a whole lot more had he been able to see the weapons, especially the black blood-covered combat knife.

"Alright, lay her down on the couch now!" Professor Membrane said as he bolted over to the phone. Dib quickly made his way to the couch and laid his sister down. He then walked back over to the door and leaned against the door frame, watching the street for the ambulance to arrive. He wanted to assure his sister would be safe. He didn't want anything to happen to one of the few people who even bothered with him at all.

As Dib stood there, the words his sister said hit him. '....The Heart....huh? Knowledge.....how is the heart...knowledge?' He questioned in his mind. He then heard the sirens off in the distance as his father returned to his side. Dib looked up at his father. He then turned his sights back to the street as the white and red vehical arrived. Professor Membrane went to his daughter's side, carefully picked her up, and started to head out the door, only stopping for a couple of seconds to turn to his son and say "Your coming too, son."

"I know, dad." Dib said. He then followed the professor outside, and towards the ambulance, hoping the best for his sister.

* * *

So, please tell me what you guys think. I hope it's enjoyable, and I will try to make the next chapter shorter. ^^

Kudos to my friend for editing my grammar and spelling mistakes. I now dub her my _editor_...and edit she will!! *Cracks grin*


	2. Akrians

The Irken And The Earthling's War And Love  
Chapter 2  
~Akrians~  
_[ZaDr]_

Dib and Professor Membrane rode in the ambulance as it drove down the street quickly. The Professor was sitting down while Dib stood on top of the seat he occupied so he could see Gaz a bit better, since he's so small. He stared at his sister as she laid there, breathing, but not moving otherwise. With a frustrated sigh, he sat back down in his seat. He curled up into a ball as the ambulance pulled into the hospital's parking lot.

~Meanwhile, Zim's Home~

Zim stopped watching the previously taken footage from GIR's vision, but he saved the clip of the other alien. He was now watching GIR's vision again, as GIR reached their home. He saw GIR enter the house, so he decided to go upstairs to see his robot.

Zim shut the window of GIR's vision off, then walked over to the platform to go upstrairs. He hopped on to it, and it slowly brought him upstairs. When it stopped moving near the trash can's top, the lid popped up thanks to motion detectors. Zim then jumped up, grabbed onto the lip of the trash barrel, then hopped over the side, landing on the floor as the trash can's lid closed.

Zim walked over to the living room to see GIR laying on the floor, staring happily up at his master. "Well done, GIR." Zim actually credited the robot for once. "Now, take care of the wet dog suit, so I can go to bed." He added.

"Okie-dokie!" GIR then unzipped the suit, slipped out of it, and walked away with it. With a shrug, Zim walked away to his own room to sleep.

~At The Hospital, 2 Hours Later~

Dib had more stitches currently stuck in the slashes on his shoulder. Of course, he was questioned about how he got the wounds. He responded simply with "I was attacked by a Saint Bernard!" It was all he could do, currently. Running around screaming aliens didn't interest him while his sister was in the hospital suffering from who knows what.

Dib was currently pacing the floor of the waiting room, hoping for his sister's saftey alone right now. He would take the next couple of days to think about things and act, but for now, it was important that he take care of one of the only people who gave a little bit of a damn about him.

Professor Membrane sat in a chair also waiting for the word on Gaz's condition. Both father and son were growing really tired and really impatient. Dib sighed just as the doors opened, and the doctor who was taking care of Gaz stepped forth. Dib immediatly went to the man's side as his father stood up and walked over to him.

"Well? How is she?" Professor asked the doctor.

His mood was downcast as he lowered his eyes quickly and his head slowly. "...She's in a coma....we don't know when she'll wake up.....we don't know..IF she'll ever wake up..." He said slowly, softly, to the two.

"........What....?" Dib choked out from shock and confusion.

"....You two should go home for the night. Come by tommorrow to visit her." With that, the doctor left, knowing the family would need some time alone to understand what has happened to her.

Professor Membrane started walking away, and Dib followed after standing there for a couple minutes longer. They decided to head home, so they could think things over. Dib knew that things were going to get worse; a lot worse.

~Dib's Home, Dib's Room~

Dib unlocked and opened his door, then walked inside his room. He closed the door behind himself and locked it. He then walked over to the window, opened it slightly, took the block out of it and placed it on his night stand. He then shut the window and locked it.

Dib then took his coat off, and reached into the sleeve to pull the sheath out. He tossed the sheathed combat knife into a large, brown box that laid on the floor. He then pulled the guns on his belt out and placed them in the box as well. He took off the belt he wore to place that in as well. When he had the box filled, he closed it up, and picked it up. He took the box over to the corner of his room opposite of his bed, and placed it down on the floor.

With a sigh, Dib decided to go to bed. It wasn't all that late, but he was tired and had a lot to think about tommorrow. As he dressed for bed, he kept repeating Gaz's words in his mind. When he was preparing for bed otherwise, what the alien said sprung through his mind. As he laid down, one more sentence hit him hard before he drifted off into sleep.

-

_"If humans and Irkens work together...humans have the knowl..age to defeat them, and I-Irkens have the technology to..."_

-

~The Next Day, Skool~

Zim walked in to the classroom, and over to his seat. He looked over at Dib's seat...to find it empty. This made him frown, he wanted badly to pester the human being. It had pretty much become a normal part of his life. The teacher walked into the room as the bell that started skool rang. 'Odd...she's usually here early...' He thought.

"Class, I have some...news, to give. Due to personal problems, Dib can't attend class today." She said, causing an unsteady silence among the students.

"What?!" Zim's voice sliced through the silent room, causing every head to turn his way. "What could be more important than me kic - I mean, what could be more important than Skool?" Zim asked, angered at the fact that he couldn't taunt the boy.

With a sigh, the teacher decided to explain rather than fight. "Zim...his sister is hospitalized. She's in a coma." She explained, not wanting to detail too much, because the word she recieved that morning held some odd things that she didn't want to know about.

"Coma?" Zim asked slowly, stretching out each letter in the word. He was an Irken, which meant there were plenty of things he didn't know or understand about humans. Since Irkens are so tough, they don't go into comas.

"Zim, a coma? I'm sure you know about that, right?" The teacher asked him like he came from some place that had a population with the understanding of five year olds alone.

"Umm..." Zim scratched his head slightly, unsure of what to say. 'Should I know?' He questioned himself in his mind.

The teacher sighed a little. "A coma is when a person can't wake up. When you go into a coma, you can't talk, you can't open your eyes, you just....it's almost like you can't stop sleeping." She said. "People stay in the hospital when they are comatose. That's where Dib's sister is right now." She further explained.

Zim thought about it for a moment. He immediatly had to know more about this. "What makes these comas occur?" He asked.

"Her's was caused by head injury, Zim." The teacher said, now sounding bored.

'Head injury...why would Dib's sister get a head injury and slip into a coma because of it..?' He pondered in his head. His next question about comas was his last. "When will she wake up?" He asked the teacher.

The teacher shook her head. "Nobody knows IF she'll ever wake up." She said.

This made the alien go mute as he wondered about Dib's relationship with his sister. From what he heard and knew, they weren't that close, but...he then thought about how lonely Dib must be. He has barely any friends. Zim understood lonliness...if it wasn't for GIR he'd be completely alone as well. He then shook his head. 'Why am I thinking of Dib?!' He screamed in his mind.

"Now, pull out your textbooks and turn to page 125 and answer every question." The teacher commanded. She stayed quiet for a moment. "And if anybody has forgotten their textbooks, then you will get three detentions and go to the office." She added, thinking of yesterday's incident.

The teacher then remembered that Dib couldn't attend the detention that day, so she pulled out a booklet she had written detentions on, and erased Dibs, re-writing it on the next day. She'd let it slide...only out of slight pity, though.

~Meanwhile, Dib's Home~

Dib was laying on the couch as he stared up at the ceiling with his hands behind his head. He was thinking about yesterday, and he had a lot of things to think about. He had been there thinking since 5 that morning, unable to sleep much. He was seriously becoming very sleep deprived.

"The Heart....maybe....a leader? The heart of their planet? Do they have a leader on a planet? Do they have a leader or a planet? WHAT are they?!" Dib screamed the last words as he gripped his head. He had been rambling on like this since he woke up. "I need...answers. The only answers I could get are from Gaz or..." He gritted his teeth as he unleashed an annoyed growl. He didn't want to say it. He didn't even want to think of his name.

"Why Gaz..? Why did you say that?" He asked aloud. "Why do humans have to work with...IRKENS...to defeat the enemies? No way! Zim wouldn't help, anyways!!" He yelled at the ceiling. Dib felt very alone in the house. His dad went to work, his sister was in the hospital, and he didn't know what to do. He was tempted to go to school, but too stressed out to bother. Too angery at Zim to bother.

He quickly sat up. "...Would Zim help..?" He asked himself. "Hmm...I mean...that alien DID have a point, I suppose. If Irkens and humans worked together, we could make a pretty powerful team,. actually. The very small, few instances where Zim and I....KIND OF worked together, we made a powerful duo." He said as he nodded. "If he wasn't trying to take over Earth, we could work together."

Suddenly, Dib scowled as different thoughts arrived. "BUT...that isn't possible. He's done too much to hurt me!" He yelled as he fisted his hand out of anger. All the memories of how Zim had lied to him, betrayed him, and almost killed him, flooded his mind. "He's tried to kill me so many times! How could we ever be allies?! And worse than that, how could we be friends?!! NO WAY!!! I'LL save IRKENS and humans MYSELF!!! If I put my mind to it, I can do anything!!!" He yelled as his fist shot straight up triumphantly.

Dib jumped up. "First, I need information! Yes, I will figure out what can defeat them and save Earth!" He screamed as he charged up to his room to gear up and get his laptop.

~Skool, A Half Hour Later~

Zim tapped his pencil on the desk impatiently as he waited for the other humans to finish their work so they could move on to a new assignment. He felt extremely bored. His hand shot up. "What is it, Zim?" The teacher asked, sounding just as annoyed at the children's slowness as he felt.

"Can I go to the bathroom, please?" He asked.

"Why not? Take an hour getting back for all I care." She said. "We might actually move on to something by then." She added as she glared at the class.

"Thank you." Zim said as he hopped out of his seat. He walked over to the teacher's desk, grabbed the pass, and headed out of the room. He walked down a couple of hallways, and arrived in a hall filled with large windows to his right. As he walked, he stared out the windows. His eyes suddenly caught something that caused him to freeze in his tracks.

He watched as he saw Dib walking down the sidewalk, looking angry. He was holding a strange device. It was small, fitting in his hands nicely. It was a dark-grey color with a black screen. Zim cocked his head to the side, wondering what he was up to. Zim decided he would go see. As he started to walk away from the window, his eyes landed on the stiches in his face, causing him to flinch, then he took off.

~Meanwhile, With Dib~

Dib walked down the street, completely tuned into the device he held alone, ignoring the rest of the world, and very barely taking note of where he was even walking. He was equipted with a combat knife in his coat's left sleeve, a laser gun to his left, and a hand gun to his right once again. The device he held was a device that was supposed to detect aliens, which it seemed to work on Zim, at least. It had a green dot on it to his left, where the skool stood. With an exasperated sigh, the spikey-haired kid kept walking foward. He paid no mind to the tiny green dot, he was searching for something else. He did notice that this device wasn't that good, however, as the green dot phased out every now and then. In fact, it phased out more often than it phased in.

Dib looked up, and took a look around himself. He shook the device lately as he saw the green dot phase out again. "Ohh, com'on! Work already! I need to find the alien!!" He yelled at the device.

"You mean the one with blue skin and black eyes, Earthling?" Came a voice from behind Dib.

Dib dropped his device and spun around to see Zim standing there staring at him. Well, it was more of a glare than anything else. "Zim! What do you know?" Dib asked.

"I saw it, for your information, human." Zim said. "Now, I would love to know how you found out about it." He added as his glare turned vicious.

Dib lowered his head slightly, catching the light of the sun just right so Zim was unable to see his eyes behind the shine. "My sister is now hospitalized by that thing. I'M taking it down if it's the last thing I ever do!" He yelled.

Zim laughed a little. "Yeah, I'd love to see you try, Dib!" He yelled back at the human. He walked foward three steps, and could now see Dib's eyes, which were glaring sharply at the alien.

"Zim..." Dib said in a low, dark voice. His head then shot up so Dib was standing up tall now. "I hope you realise that that THING is after both of our blood!" He yelled.

"What?" Zim asked as his head tilted to the side slightly. "What do you mean?" Zim asked the Earthling.

"I mean exactly what I just said! That alien said it wanted human AND Irken blood! Your not safe from it, Zim!" Dib called.

Zim marched foward a few more steps until the human and the Irken stood a few steps away from one-another. "Your telling me this other alien wants to kill Earthlings and Irkens? Do you know why?" Zim asked Dib.

Dib shook his head. "No, but I know some more information that could prove useful..." Dib said, spinning around to have his back face the Irken as his arms crossed.

Zim took another step forward, bringing himself to be three steps away from the human. "Dib, what else do you know?" Zim asked him.

"I'm not telling you." He said in a dark voice. "Why would I tell you anything?" Even though Dib knew that he probably needed to get the Irkens to side with the humans in order to save their planets, he really didn't want to. He figured that Zim would stab him in the back in the end if he tried to even work with the Irkens, so he figured it would be best to not involve him anymore. He needed to clear this mess up himself, then continue his battle with Zim.

"Dib, tell me what you know. Now." Zim would never admit it to the human, but no matter how many times he's tried to kill him, he actually has come to realise that he wants this human to be around. He finds fighting with Dib to be enjoyable, and that's why he always attempts to kill him; because it gives him a reason for existing. Zim figures that coming to the Earth and taking it over in a snap would have been boring, but with Dib around, it makes the conquest of Earth feel better. Well...it will when he conquers Earth, anyways. At the moment though, he needed to know what Dib knew, about this alien that wanted to kill his people.

Dib turned his head very slightly, just slightly enough to look back at the Irken. "No Zim, I won't tell you." He said as he glared the alien down.

Zim glared angrily at the human. "NOW, Dib!" He yelled.

"NO!" Dib shot back, louder.

"That's it!!" Zim yelled. He then ran straight towards Dib.

As Zim ran foward, Dib very quickly pulled out his combat knife. He swung it as Zim extended his claw towards the boy's face, forcing his claw to dig into Dib's arm and rip across, creating light scratches. Dib's knife cut into Zim's skin, but it was such a shallow cut, that it didn't really phase him at all.

Zim then swung the back of his other claw at Dib's face, assuring that the skin alone would connect, and it connected with Dib's cheek perfectly, sending Dib flying backwards. As Dib sailed, his glasses flew off to the side and landed on the grass, which was the only thing that prevented them from breaking. Dib landed on his back on the ground, and his combat knife fell on the ground right next to his hand. Before he could even recollect himself, Zim was already at his side.

Zim pinned the boy down fully by placing his foot down on Dib's chest, and applying a lot of pressure. Dib and Zim glared at each other. "Now tell me, Dib. What do you know?" Zim asked, the sunlight behind him shadowed his face, making his glare colder than it really was.

"Let me ask you something first." Dib said. He took a deep breath. "What are you planning to do if I tell you what I know?" Dib asked.

"I'll get rid of them. Earth is mine to take, and mine alone. Besides, you said they are targeting Irkens, and I refuse to let anything happen to my people." He said. "Now, tell me."

Dib gave him an annoyed look. "I can't trust you." He said simply.

Zim applied more pressure to Dib's chest with the heel of his foot, starting to cause Dib pain. "DIB!! I need to know! TELL ME!!!" Zim screamed.

Dib growled as his eyes turned from their normal orange color to a bold red. "You want to know what I was told?!" He yelled. "I was told that humans and Irkens can win if we were to work together! But that's impossible Zim, since all we do is fight! We can't be friends, we can't work together, so all the humans and Irkens will die if that's true! Now GET OFF OF ME!!!" Dib yelled at the alien.

Dib suddenly snagged his combat knife and stabbed it into Zim's ankle, causing him to scream. "Human filth!! Stop this!!" He commanded, then as he freaked out, he kicked Dib's left cheek. Dib then grabbed Zim's foot to hold it still, and with his other hand still on the knife's handle, he started twisting it to cause the alien more pain. "DIB!!!!" Zim yelled. He applied more pressure on the human's chest to try to get Dib to take the knife out.

Dib then pulled the knife out, but as soon as he did, he got his hands under Zim's foot and pulled his foot up. As Zim's foot went up, he lost his balance, and fell backwards onto his back. Dib immedeately got up after that, he went to Zim's side, and stamped his foot down hard on the alien's chest to him him down this time. He then slipped the combat knife into his sleeve, then pulled out his laser gun and aimed it at the alien's face.

"Dib, let me go!" Zim yelled up at the human.

Dib laughed at him. "Zim, you better listen up. Earth is my planet, and that alien is here, somewhere! I'LL be the one to conquer it. I'LL save my world before you get the chance to save yours." He said.

"No way!" Zim yelled as he pointed his finger straight at the human's face. "Dib, MY people are in danger! I'm a hell of a lot stronger than you are, Dib! I'LL defeat the alien!!"

"I'M smarter than you are, therefore I will figure out how to kill them and do it before you can!!" Dib yelled.

Suddenly, an alarm sounded. It was coming from Dib's device. Both males turned their heads toward the device, and they could see a blue dot on it coming straight towards them. Dib pulled out his handgun as the blue alien came running from up a street. It stopped infront of the two males. It cracked a big grin.

"Aww, you two are getting along well, huh?" It then cackled.

Dib held up the handgun. "It's you again." He said darkly, his glare intense.

"You poor boy! Your heart...I can feel the pain SO DEEPLY....poor human." It said as its smile grew slightly.

Dib pushed his foot on Zim a bit more. "I'm fine, thanks." Dib said sternly. "I've always been strong." He added.

"Oh, not from what I can see. See, this is why Irkens complete humans...they are much tougher than humans." The alien said. "Dib...your a tough kid, but you are always in pain, aren't you? Yes...I see it....your different from the other humans. Your eyes...have seen FAR too much. You have seen....so much....no wonder people think your crazy. All starting from when you were so young." It gave him a small, sympathetic smile. "You almost drowned because your sister left you all alone. You were almost beaten to death by another human who hated your father and wanted him to suffer, and nobody believed you about that even though you have the scar to prove it! You were abducted by...HAHAHA!! I won't tell you about that one!" It laughed at Dib.

Zim noticed that Dib's hand was shaking slightly. 'It sounds like...Dib has gone through a lot....' Zim thought.

"You know NOTHING about me!!! And I WAS abducted...my memory of that time is screwed up, but it did happen!!!" Dib screamed at the foreign alien.

The monster plastered a large grin across it's lips. "I KNOW. It DID happen to you. I can see everything that has happened in anyone's life, no matter what species they are. And what happened to you when you were abducted...." It laughed at him. "I won't tell."

The alien then turned his head down to Zim. "Zim....the banished alien who had the courage to escape to join in on the second universe-dominating plan...after you were banished for ruining the first plan." The alien started laughing at the Irken.

Zim glared. "I just got carried away, alright? I won't let you stop us!!" He yelled loudly.

Dib moved his eye down to look at Zim, who was fuming with anger towards their foe. 'Even though we are enemies....' Dib looked up at the foe. 'This guy has GOT to go!' He finished his thoughts.

Dib shot 7 bullets at the alien. The alien just mearly looked up at Dib with a grin. Something Dib noticed about this alien, was that the wounds he inflicted on this thing previously were already cleared up from only that previous night.

"I already told you Dib! You cannot defeat us! Humans and Irkens cannot defeat us apart....they must become close to defeat us....they have to be one." It said, its smile spreading across it's face so much that it was becoming a bit disturbing. "Irkens and humans have to be so close that nothing will break them apart if they want to defeat us. But...they can't. That's because they CAN'T become one!!!" It called.

"SHUT-THE-HELL-UUUUUP!!!!!" With each word Dib yelled he shot a bullet into their foe.

The bullets plunged into the alien one by one. When the last bullet connected, the alien started laughing. "What are you, anyways?! What species?" Zim asked.

When the alien stopped laughing, it smiled down at Zim. "I am an Akrian. My name is Arc. By the way, tell The Tallest that I give them my love and that I hope Blue is resting in peace about now."

The Akrian then waved quickly before a huge gust started up. Dib and Zim both covered their faces as the gust blew, then faded. When they both looked around, the Akrian known as Arc was gone.

Dib sighed as he removed his foot from the alien's chest. He walke a couple of steps away from him onto the grass, then fell on the ground, on his ass. He sat there, dazed. Zim stood up and walked over to where Dib's glasses still laid, luckily not broken. He reached down and clutched them, then stood as he held them. He slowly turned his head towards the black-haired kid to see him staring into the street.

'...This kid...Dib...it seems like he has a worse life then I originally thought.' Zim thought. He then shook his head. 'Whatever. He is a weirdo...with a big head.'

Zim walked over to the human and sat down next to him. Dib looked up at Zim with pained orange eyes. "Um...here." Zim said as he held up the boy's glasses for him to take.

Dib just sat there staring at them like they were foreign objects he'd never seen before. He finally clutched them in his had after about a minute ticked by. "Thanks." He said quietly, then slipped them on.

Zim sighed. "Well...I better get back to class." He said.

Dib nodded quietly as Zim stood. "Dib, I'll destroy the Akrians. Don't worry." Zim then started to walk away. Dib turned his head immedeately after he said that to look at him with wide eyes. He watched Zim walk towards the school, a bit shocked that Zim would say that, and to him, of all people.

Then, he suddenly glared at the back of Zim's head as he slipped through the school's front doors. 'He...he STILL wants to beat me to saving everone!' He thought. He angrilly rose, then walked over to his device. He picked it up and started running down the street in search of information on the Akrians.

~Later That Afternoon~

Zim walked down the street heading towards his house. He saw that the sky was really dark, like it was ready to down pour. This made him swallow, nervous. He didn't fare well in water, so he was afraid of it raining. He still had a good walk before hitting his home...

He then started running towards his home. He hoped he could reach it. He desperately wanted to be in the comfort of his home with GIR. GIR annoyed him to no end, but he had to admit it; that robot never made him feel lonely.

'Lonliness...' He thought. 'Dib...I wonder if your father or your sister keeps you company..?' He wondered in his mind, cauing his steps to slow a bit, though he was still jogging home. Then, he felt a droplet of rain strike him shoulder, causing him to scream. He then bolted down the street quickly, racing to get home before his entire body would burn.

~The Hospital~

Dib sat on the window seat as he stared outside. The kids at Skool just got released, and it was starting to rain. He snickered at the thought of Zim rushing to get to his home as the rain burned his skin.

He then turned his head towards his sister who was laying in the hospital bed as her condition remained the same. All Dib could do, was hope for Gaz to wake up someday, and visit her sometimes otherwise.

He then looked up at the creaking fan that slowly spun in a circle.

-

_"Dib, I'll destroy the Akrians. Don't worry."_

-

'Don't worry....why? Why did you say that, Zim? Why..?' He wondered in his mind. He then looked back over to the window. It was now pouring outside. 'Zim...I hope you'll be alright. It's raining pretty heavilly.'

~Zim's Home, 20 Minutes Later~

Zim slammed the door open and fell onto the floor as he frantically came inside. "GIR!! Shut the door, quick!" He yelled at the robot.

"Yes, my master!!" GIR said as his eyes turned red. He quickly ran to the door and shut it. His eyes then reverted to the normal green color. "Yay!" He yelled. He then laid down on the floor and clung to Zim's arm.

Zim planted his face on the floor. "....Taks, GR..." He said, his voice muffled against the floor. He continued to stay like that, as GIR continued to cling to his arm. "Uhh...GR, plse le go..." He asked. GIR didn't budge, causing the tired Zim to sigh.

"Oh!" GIR said as he let go of Zim and sat up. Zim got up on his knees and hands as he looked over at GIR.

"What is it?" He asked his companion as he took the lenses out of his eyes and the wig off his head.

"The big screen came on downstairs, earlier!" He said happily.

"MY TALLEST!!!" Zim yelled as he knew which screen GIR refered to. He then bolted over to the trash barrel, stamping his foot on the pedal and jumping straight up, and falling perfectly inside, landing on the platform with ease. It started to lower, and Zim excitedly waited for it to reach the bottom. A couple of seconds after it started lowering, GIR hopped on beside Zim. "What did they say, GIR?" He asked his companion.

"They said they needed to talk to you, but I said you weren't here, so they told me to tell you!" GIR said happily.

"Thanks, GIR!" Zim said. GIR made a loud, hyper sound in response.

The platform reached the bottom a few seconds later, and Zim immediatly ran over to the computer with a large screen. He hopped up in the chair and opened up the communication path to The Tallest, hoping they would respond immedeatly.

The window that held the communication suddenly switched from a completely black screen to a screen showing the two Tallest Irkens alive, Red and Purple.

"My Tallest! We have a bad problem!" Zim said immedeatly, right off the bat.

"Yeah, we do too, Zim." Purple said. "It's bad!"

"WHAT?!" Zim yelled. "What's the matter, My Tallest?!!"

"Zim...our planet is surrounded." Red said. "It's the Akrians. They are threatening to attack us. An Akrian came to us and said we were to give up our planet or they will kill us all in 30 days exactly from today. They said they will take Earth too, and we sent a couple of small ships to scout out the area, and found that there are a lot of ships surrounding Earth, too." Red explained. "Zim, this is looking bad. We have only 30 days to kill their ships, or we're going into a huge war."

Zim's eyes grew huge. He leaned back in his seat, unsure of what to do. His mind raced, trying to think, but being unable to.

"Zim...they said we, the Irkens, can only stand a chance, by-" Red was cut off.

"Becoming one with the humans..." Zim said. Red and Purple both nodded. "But WHY?!! What is so special about these HUMANS, anyways?!!" He asked.

"I don't know Zim, but the only chance we have is to see if any of these humans can help us." Red said.

"Please Zim, try to get help from the humans. Or at least get a human that can help us. Zim, you're our only hope at this point." Purple said.

The words he always wanted to hear The Tallest say to him. "Zim, you're our only hope." And these words filled the Irken's mouth with a bitter, bad taste. 'Dib...' He thought bitterly.

"My Tallest...." He said with a fading voice. He took a moment to think, then sat up tall and proud. "I will do anything in order to save Irk, Earth, and All humans and Irkens. I promise you both, My Tallest." He said respectfully, closing his eyes and bowing his head slightly as he finished his last words.

"Thank you, Invader Zim." Red said respectfully back.

Zim snapped his head up and his eyes open. His red eyes shimmered. 'That was the most respectful way My Tallest have ever spoken to me...' He was extremely happy, but he knew he had to worry about the safety of all of the Irkens as well as his home planet, Irk.

"Your welcome, My Tallest!" Zim yelled enthusiastically. Then it hit him.

-

_"By the way, tell The Tallest that I give them my love and that I hope Blue is resting in peace about now."_

-

"MY TALLEST!!!" Zim yelled randomly, causing both Purple and Red to jump out of their skins.

"Wha-what it is, Zim?!" Red asked, defensively.

"The Akrian I ran into...ALONG WITH THAT HUMAN FILTH!!!!" He screamed extremely loudly, then looked up sheepishly at The Tallest to see they both gawked at him like he had started spitting water everywhere. "Um, sorry." He said.

"Just say when you need to Zim, sheesh..." Purple said, sounding annoyed with the small Irken.

"Right...anyways, I ran into an Akrian names Arc." Red and Purple's eyes widened slightly. "This Akrian told me to tell you both that he "gives his love" to you and that he hopes Blue is resting in peace now..?" Zim said. "I really don't know what he was talking about." He added.

"Bl...Blue..." Red said. He then stood up from his seat and walked off-screen to the left.

Zim tilted his head to the side. "What's the matter, My Tallest?" He asked Purple.

Purple sighed. "Zim...Blue was Red's sister. She was the third Tallest....back 235 years ago....she was killed by Arc before you were born, Zim..." Purple said quietly.

Zim's eyes grew huge. "I...I didn't know....I'm sorry, My Tallest...." He said quietly, sinking into his seat.

"It's alright, Zim. You didn't know. Just...please don't mention Blue again, alright? It's...something Red doesn't want to hear, or think about." Purple said.

"I promise, My Tallest. I will be careful from now on." Zim said. Purple nodded. "Now, my Tall-"

"PRESENT?!!" GIR's voice suddenly cut into their conversation.

Zim's eye twitched as he looked over at his robotic side-kick. GIR ran up to him holding a box. Zim picked it up and placed it in his lap. "Eh? What is this??" He asked GIR.

"I don't know~" GIR said. "It was outside!" He added.

Zim tilted his head to the side, then to the other. Since it had been raining, it was a tad wet and burning Zim a little bit, but he ignored it. This box was wrapped in white paper. He started ripping the paper off of it. He then opened the top, and looked inside.

At the bottom of the box, there was a handgun laying there and a bit of ammo. There was also a folded note. Zim blinked, then picked up the note. He unfolded it, and Purple waited for him to read it allowed, curious himself.

Zim read the note allowed. "Zim, I gave you a my handgun and the ammo that I previously had with it. I checked my device for locating aliens, and it detected a huge swarm of Akrians. I'm going after them, don't try to stop me! If I die, tell Gaz that I care about her when she wakes, please. She knows what I know. Otherwise, I'll be....WHAT THE HELL IS THAT IDIOT DOING??!!!" Zim yelled as he jumped out of his seat.

"Uhh...Zim..?" Purple asked the Irken, completely confused.

"I'm going to stop him! If he dies, we're all going to die!" Zim yelled. He then bolted for the platform.

Purple sat back in his seat, shaking with nervousness. He didn't want Irk to fall to the Akrian's hands.

Zim was ready to fight with all he had. "GIR!!! Com'on!!" He called as he hopped up onto the platform.

"Yes, my master!!" GIR called as his eyes turned red. GIR ran up to the platform and jumped up, trying to grab the ledge. Zim caught his hand and pulled him up on the ledge.

"MY TALLEST!!! I will save you and our planet Irk!!!" Zim screamed as the ledge rose.

* * *

My friend edited this chapter as well. If she makes an account on this site, I'll state her user name, but she hasn't yet, so yeah. Anyways, I hope your enjoying it, and expect the next chapter to be actionous and intense! ^^


	3. Pain Threshold

The Irken And The Earthling's War And Love  
Chapter 3  
~Pain Threshold~  
_[ZaDr]_

Dib was equiped with his combat knife in his coat sleeve alone as he ran down the street. He held the device in his hands as he followed after the blue dots on it. There were currently 5 dots he chased after. He wasn't expecting to live, but if he could, he wanted to at least find out how to kill these things and leave Zim the message. Since humans could only provide the information, he figured it was the only way to help, even if it meant his life would end. He was determined to do what he could for the planet he lived on, and the words of Arc really stung him.

-

_"You poor boy! Your heart...I can feel the pain SO DEEPLY....poor human."_

-

He gritted his teeth in anger.

-

_"Dib...your a tough kid, but you are always in pain, aren't you? Yes...I see it....your different from the other humans. Your eyes...have seen FAR too much."_

-

'...How does that thing know so much about me..? I have to know!' He thought.

-

_"You almost drowned because your sister left you all alone."_

-

'Gaz....you left me all alone by the river because you were mad that I had picked on you about your new arm warmers. I was angry, I was pretending to be a knight, and I fell in the river. I couldn't swim at that time, so I almost drowned. I never told anybody about that.' He thought, his gums hurting slightly from the pressure of his teeth clenched together tightly.

-

_"You were almost beaten to death by another human who hated your father and wanted him to suffer, and nobody believed you about that even though you have the scar to prove it!"_

-

'Nobody believed me, even with this scar...' Dib thought as his hand reached and gripped his unstitched shoulder. 'I still have it, too. I'll never forget that incident. He went to jail five months later for beating a girl, and then he killed himself while he was there. So scary...' He thought.

-

_"Irkens and humans have to be so close that nothing will break them apart if they want to defeat us."_

-

Dib shook his head at that. 'Oh my God! I can't work with Zim! He would never agree, anyways! And look at how many times he's left me hanging! NO!!' His mind screamed painfully. 'Everyone always leaves me hanging, alone, all alone...' He shook his head. 'This isn't the time to worry about my problems.'

He finally neared the dots after chasing them for a while. They stopped moving, and he turned a corner to the right. His eyes immedeatly landed on the foes. Four Akrians stood there glaring the human down. The fifth one, Arc, smile deviously at him.

"Little human...you are exactly who I wanted to see right now!" He said wickedly. Dib just glared at him as he tossed the device on the cold, hard ground.

~Zim's Home~

Zim and GIR reached the front door. With a gulp, Zim opened it, and saw it was still pouring outside. He then looked over at GIR. "GIR! I need you to retrieve something I can use to repel the rain!" He yelled at his companion.

"Okay!" GIR happily said as he took off into a different room.

Zim the thought about The Tallest for a minute. 'Wait...when did they get off of the Massive?' He questioned in his mind.

He then accessed the communicator in his PAK to converse with Purple. "My Tallest, why are you on our home planet, anyways? What about the Massive?" Zim asked.

"Zim, the Massive was surrounded, and we happened to be near Irk, so we headed here quickly. We had no choice." Purple responded.

"Oh..." Zim said, sounding a bit down. He was concerned over this matter. Then, a random thought struck him. "How does an Irken have a sister, anyways?" He asked.

"Red started calling Blue his sister because the two were constantly side by side since birth. They came into the world around the same time, and have viewed each other as siblings since." Purple explained.

Zim nodded. "Alright, thank you My Tallest." He said, then the communicator cut off.

GIR ran into the living room wearing his dog suit. He held an umbrella which he handed to Zim. "Alright, GIR. Let's go save that idiot before we're all doomed." He said. He then held the umbrella straight out, opened it up, then walked outside as he proped it against his shoulder. GIR walked beside Zim, under the umbrella as well.

~Back With Dib~

Dib was now standing only a couple of feet away from Arc, and the other four Akrians stood behind him. "So, you want to use me like a guinea pig and take me to perform weird experiments on me, right?" Dib asked. "Just like you did before..." He muttered.

Arc cackled. "No...we didn't experiment on you. BUT, I know exactly who did." He then started laughing.

Dib glared darkly at him. "Then tell me! Tell me who abducted me! Tell me who experimented on me! Tell me what species they are, and what their name is!" He yelled.

Arc laughed loudly, and the other Akrians started laughing with him. "Dib! I'll tell you if you can survive our experiments." He said. "But you won't make it. You'll be killed too quickly!" He yelled.

Zim and GIR just arrived on the scene, staying back as they watched and listened to the soaked Dib speak. "Yeah, take me! Do what you want, I don't care! Just giv-"

"Dib!" Zim yelled, cutting the human off. This caused the human and the Akrians to sharply turn towards the Irken. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" He asked as he slowly approched the boy, GIR faithfully and cheerfully following his master.

"Stay out of this, Zim!" Dib yelled. The rain was slowly starting to lighten up as it turned from a down pour to a normal rain.

"Dib, I'm not going to let you die here!" Zim yelled.

"Zim, you just don't get it!" Dib screeched.

"Yes I do, Dib! Your being a coward looking for an easy wa-"

"That's not it!" Dib yelled sternly.

"He wants to know." Ace said.

"Shut up! Nobody asked you." Dib said. The rain had slowed so much at this point, it only lightly drizzled.

Zim was feeling frustrated. 'This human thinks he's smarter than an Irken. He thinks he can just up and throw away his life, when I know better than him.' Zim thought. He then looked down at his discombobulated SIR unit, GIR. "GIR, get Dib out of here. By force, if you must." He commanded.

The rain finally halted, but the sky was as dark as ever. Zim dropped the umbrella on the ground.

GIR made his way over to Dib. GIR looked up at Dib as he smiled happily. Dim crossed his arms, pouting. "I'm not going anywhere." Dib said stubornly.

"Com'on! Lets go play!!" GIR responded.

"This isn't a game!" Dib whined loudly.

"Oh, well this is pretty pathetic." Arc said with a snicker, quiet laughter coming from the other Akrians.

"I already told you all to shut your mouths!" Dib scolded the Akrians.

GIR tugged on Dib's coat unequiped sleeve. "Let's play!" He begged.

"NO!" Dib yelled as GIR lightly tugged on his sleeve repetitively.

"Dib, go with GIR already!" Zim yelled.

"Screw you!" Dib retaliated harshly.

"Dib, come with us. Remember our deal?" Arc called. "Com'on~"

Dib nodded and then looked down at GIR. GIR stopped tugging on his sleeve but his hands clung tightly to it. "Let go. Now." Dib said.

GIR hugged his arm. "I don't want to." He said simply.

"NOOO!!!!! Let me go!!!" Dib yelled, trying to shake him off, but he refused to let go.

'Good, GIR won't let him go! Now, I need to chase away the Akrians and kick Dib's ass for disobeying his future ruler!' Zim's mind yelled. He then unleashed his Spider Legs from the PAK on his back, and they dug into the ground slightly, lifting him up off the ground and hovering him above the Akrians.

Arc lifted his head up towards the Irken. He smirked. "Oh, you think your special now, don't you? You small Irkens with your long Spider Legs that allow you to feel bigger than you are. This is why the Akrians have..."

He then jumped up into the air, rapidly nearing Zim. "Conditioned our bodies untill..." He then slashed Zim across the face with a claw. He then started to fall as Zim screamed from the burning pain. "We had strength and physical abilities far beyond our previous status!!!" He screamed as he landed neatly on his feet.

Zim growled out of anger after he stopped screaming. There were deep scratches in his face, but Irkens were really hard to scar, so it would heal completely over time. "Don't think that one swing of your claw will keep me down!" Zim yelled.

Arc looked over at Dib, smiling. GIR still wouldn't release his arm, so Dib did the second thing he could think of. He started to walk towards the Akrians, pulling GIR along with him. Zim growled. "FREEZE, HUMAN!!!" He yelled.

"SHUT UP!!!" Dib yelled as he stopped walking.

Dib then moved his arm foward that GIR held onto, then shoved it back hard, causing GIR to slide backwards and all on the ground because Dib was soked. He then bolted to the Akrians. "Remember our deal and stick to your words!" He yelled at Arc.

"Oh, I know, Dib. But...you won't survive long enough...haha!" Then, Arc created a black shield around himself, the four other Akrians, and Dib.

"Dib!! You fool!" Zim yelled down at the human.

Dib shot a dark glare up Zim. "YOU'RE the fool, Zim! I'm doing this for you!!" He yelled up at Earth's Invader.

-

_"Dib, I'll destroy the Akrians. Don't worry."_

-

'I...have to help Zim live, reguardless of us being enemies. If I have to pick between Earth being destroyed or Earth being taken over...I'd rather it belong to the aliens....but if I can prevent both...' His thoughts were cut into.

"Alright, let's go, Dib. I guess you have no more last words to share with the Irken." The Akrian said as it grinned widely at the human boy.

Then, a huge gust of wind kicked up. Zim immediatly reacted by diving down and grabbing GIR in his arms, then moved backward and laid low to the ground to prevent the wind to knock himself or his companion around. The wind carried the sphere away, and Zim glared at the spot in the sky where they disappeared behind a building.

'Dib....you're a moron....sadly, you're the moron I will kill, not anybody else! You're MY moron, and I say what happens to every human on this planet! Earth is MINE, and that includes YOU, you stupid monkey!' Zim thought angrilly.

He then let the spider legs take him over to the device. He grabbed it and stared at it. It was more broken now since Dib had tossed it on the ground, but it was still functioning. "GIR! We have to save that stupid Dib before he gets himself killed!" Zim yelled as his Spider Legs started to carry himself and GIR towards the blue dots on the screen of the device.

"Yay! We're going on a ride!!" GIR yelled. Zim dropped his head with a sigh. He would never come to understand why GIR was so tuned out of reality.

~With Dib, 20 Minutes Later~

Dib slowly opened his eyes, lifted his head, and looked around his location. He was lying on the cold, steel floor of an unfamiliar area. He remembered that he had started to feel light headed in the shield, and fainted. He then relised it's because there was no Earth oxygen in it. Instead, the air was filled with something else...

He got up to his feet, staggering slightly. He then looked around to see he was in an empty room, with a couple of doors. By one door, there was a sign with small writting on it. He made his way to it and looked at it, but it was written in some foriegn language. He figured it was Akrian.

He cocked an eyebrow as his head shot to a door on the other side of the room as he heard a door automatically slide open. An Akrian that was a bit taller than Arc walked in. This one glared the boy down. "So...you are the human with the large head that knows more than he should. Well, this is great..." He said. "Humans....such strange creatures that live on a planet...a planet that we should take from the monkeys." The Akrian said.

"Alright! Who the hell are you, where am I, and why do you guys want our planet so badly, anyways?!!" Dib asked.

The Akrian cocked an eyebrow at the boy. "Ooh, such a fiesty, smart child. Most humans would just stand here looking stupid. Maybe you get some good genes in your body after all, kid." The Akrian said.

Dib rolled his eyes. "That's great, but getting some ANSWERS would be nice!" Dib yelled back.

"Alright, I'll answer two of the three, and one of them completely~" The Akrian said.

"Well, that's poetic..." Dib murmured. "Where am I and what do you guys want with Earth?" Dib asked.

"Aww...but I'd rather talk about myself..." The Akrian said in a hurt voice. This only recieved a very angry glare from the spikey-haired human. "Alright...if you insist." This Akrian said in a playful voice, but his glare was plastered on his face at this point.

Dib shook slightly as he realised how cold the room was. "First off..." The Akrian started. "This is one of our...smaller ships. We're on your planet still, don't worry, think of it like an Irken's Voot Runner. A land ship." He chuckled a little. "Except this ship is just simply a C77612. Perhaps that's too much for a human to remember?" He asked, then cackled.

"A C77612. I can remember that with ease, thank you very much." Dib said as he glared up at the tall monstrosity before him.

"Oh, a smart alek. Alright, the next time we meet, I want to hear you say it again. I'll give you credit then, and only then." He said. "As for your other question...we want to take over Earth because we want to destroy the Irkens and humans. We wish to for...personal reasons." He said with a smirk.

"Personal reasons..?" Dib inquiered.

The Akrian laughed. "What? You expect me to explain?" He asked the Earthling. "I'm not exactly the same as Arc. I'm smarter than that foolish black blood." He said.

Dib smirked. "What? Afraid of a little human and a little Irken?" He asked in a taunting voice. "Is that is? Out of fear?"

The Akrian give him an annoyed look. "No...our personal reasons are not fear. It goes much deeper than any fear could bring it." He went quiet for a couple of moments. "Let's just say...it has some history behind it." He then shook his head. "Come this way, human. You made some sort of a deal with Arc, although he won't explain himself to me."

Dib took two steps foward, then stopped. The Akrian was apparently angered by this, so he walked over to Dib, gripped his stitched shoulder hard, then pulled him along through the door he had entered the room. Dib looked around the new room as the door shut behind him. There was a strange, long table with straps on it. Dib realised what this was. It was a torture chamber. He backed up a bit, but the Akrian pulled him over to the table.

The Akrian forced the back sides of Dib's hands to hit the cold metalic table top. Dib was leaned over backwards with his lower back against the table, the Akrian hovered over him as it forced him onto the table, scraping Dib's back against the table's edge. He held Dib down as a familiar voice reached Dib's ears.

"So, you remember the deal I assume, Dib?" Arc asked as he reached the table.

"Ye..yeah." Dib said, his voice wavering.

"Good." Arc said as he started to strap Dib's right arm down on the table. "Then, I hope you don't mind a little torture session. I know, it sounds bad, but after about an hour, the pain is easier to handle...at least, that's what that Irken said so many years ago." Arc said. He started laughing hard, causing him to stop in the middle of strapping Dib's arm.

"Would you concentrate?!" The other Akrian yelled at him.

"Oh, so sorry, Ace. I'll be a good worker from now on~" Arc said. The alien, now dubbed Ace, sighed.

~With Zim~

Zim's Spider Legs moved rapidly as he neared the ship. It was aerial, but it was hovering not too high off the ground. It was in a desolate area as well, near a forest and away from the city. Zim was happy to have a PAK, just so he could use these long, fast Spider Legs to keep on the move. By this time, Zim had realised that Dib was seriously too sensitive when it came to the Akrians, that they obviously knew too much about his life and it was making him feel too much pain. Dib was letting them take advantage of him. Zim shook his head slightly as he tightened his grip on the spazzing GIR's waist. He knew that the extra cupcake that morning was too much for GIR.

~Back On The C77612~

Arc was fastening the final strap on Dib's left arm. "Dib, I hope you know one good thing about Akrians. We don't always tell everything, but we never lie~" He said as he finished fastening the strap. He then flipped a large, metal case over Dib's body and locked it down. It covered him from his stomach to his chest, and it was snug against his body.

"Well, some of us should." Ace said, as he walked over to a seat on the other end of the room, not far from where Dib was.

There were two seats, in between those seats, there was a panel with various buttons and switches across it, and there was a vary small lense that sat on top of the panel, aimed at the wall to Dib's right. Beside each chair there was a small table, and behind the chairs there was a rug laying on the floor, with nothing else over there. Dib found that to be very strange.

Ace sat down in the chair to Dib's left. Ace reached over to the table to pick up a strange object that looked kind of like a pen, but was much fatter and longer then any pen that he'd ever seen. Ace also grabbed a notebook, and he set the notebook in his lap, and held the pen.

"Arc, come work the machine already." Ace commanded.

With a shrugg, Arc walked over to his seat, sat down, and reached over to the panel. "Alright, Dib. if you can survive our...test, then I will tell you a bit about your abduction. It's quite interesting really, and it's exciting. I won't say everything about it, but I will tell you about what species abducted you, who was responsible for it, I'll tell you about some of-"

"WOULD YOU HURRY UP AND PULL THE DAMN SWITCH??!!!" Ace yelled. "DAMN! You are FAR too long-winded!!"

"Okay~" Arc said simply. He then pulled a grey switch down, and Dib felt his entire body start to burn. It felt like he was burning alive! "Whaat....what's happeeniiing too mee?!!" Dib yelled, stretching various letters out of pain.

"We call this the Burning Torture Chamber for a reason, Dib." Arc explained. "This machine releases a special...well, it's almost like lightning on your planet, but it's invisible and it comes from our planet. That is the kind of thing you'll get in a world where rain is endless and conditions are severly harsh on your own planet." Arc started explaining.

'So...that's the reason why water doesn't affect them, and probably part of the reason why they have "conditioned" their bodies to be tougher.' Dib thought.

"Our people are almost at the point of not being able to live there, anymore. The only way we can survive is by taking Earth..." He said, sounding serious. He then smiled. "Well, that's not true. There are plenty of other planets, a lot of them that are uninhabited, but then this brings us back to the personal reasons, doesn't it?" Arc explained, then started laughing.

Ace and Dib exchanged bored looks. "Annoying, isn't he?" Ace asked casually.

"Yes..ah...very." Dib responded as the burning pain grew worse.

"You two are so rude." Arc said, fake-pouting. Dib could see Ace clearly from his position on the table, but Arc was blocked off by the tight machine part that covered his small frame. He watched as Ace wrote something down on the notebook. "Now, more power!!" Arc yelled. On the panel there was a slider that was all the way near the bottom. He then pushed it up about five lines, and Dib started to gasp and grunt from the pain.

Dib watched as Ace smiled a little. "You won't last long." He said quietly. Dib gritted his teeth nervously.

~Back With Zim~

Zim was now closing in on the large, hovering vehical. 'Damn...I could really use my Voot Runner right now, but I probably don't have the time to run and get it.' He thought. He then looked down at GIR, who was singing some random thing about tacos. 'And I'm NOT letting GIR fly it, either.' He added to his thoughts.

Zim just kept his quick pace on his Spider Legs, just hoping he could save Dib. After all, if he's going to rule Earth, he needs to be able to protect it, too. The Irkens don't destroy their planets, they rule them.

~3 Minutes Later, The C77612~

Dib was now unable to resist making pained sounds anymore. He was in a lot of pain, he was starting to sweat, his eyes were now closed, and his hands kept closing into fists and opening again. "Ho-how much..more of..agh...this? How mu-much long-er?!" Dib called out between gasps of pain.

"Untill we know how much pain a human can take." Ace said. Dib opened his eyes a little, to notice his eyes had something strange about them when he said that. Dib was in too much pain to worry about it though, so he closed his eyes. Each time Ace or Arc spoke, his eyes opened a bit. He had a feeling he would be unable to do even that much soon enough, though.

Arc pushed the slider up more, as Ace wrote more down. At this point, Dib was nearing a full-on scream. Ace couldn't wipe the smile off his face.

~Outside The C77612~

Zim finally arrived, and he stood directly under the hovering craft. He was really mad at the fact that the craft was much higher than he originally thought. He tried jumping up to it a couple of times already, but he couldn't reach it. "DIB! I'm going to SO kick your ass!!!" He yelled up at the vehical. "I have to get up there somehow..." He said quietly, thinking and plotting.

~5 Minutes Later, Inside the C77612~

Dib was now screaming in pain. Ace's fangs were beared as his smile couldn't grow anymore, and Arc laughed so loudly that it matched Dib's screaming. "Your going to die, Dib!" Nobody can save you, now!!" Ace yelled. Dib shook his head a bit, fighting against the pain, and fighting against their words. He wouldn't let their words reach him anymore...or so he wished.

Arc stopped laughing. "Nobody WILL save you. I've seen it. In your past, everyone has always left you alone. Even the closest people to you wouldn't come to you when you were in need. When you were in trouble, would your father or your sister save you?" Arc asked.

"Gaaaaaaz.....HAS saaveeed me before!!" Dib yelled. "Aand Dad has hellllped me as well!!" Dib yelled.

"No Dib...when they have helped you, they did it out of selfish or other reasons!" Ace said sternly. Dib figured that all Akrians could somehow see the pasts of others. "Gaz once saved you when Zim tried to take over your body ONLY because she thought it was a video game. Your father figures you would make a great real scientist so he helps you get your hands on his inventions because of that want. Don't you see? NOBODY cares whether you're here! Nobody ever will, either!! Nobody loves you, Dib!" Ace explained. "So nobody will save you! Nobody will care if you die!!!"

Those words stung Dib so much, it was worse than the pain of the shocks. Arc crancked up the slider more, and Dib started screaming at the top of his lungs...

~With Zim~

Zim now stood on a large board, his Spider Legs still out. GIR clung onto him as he cheered for...God knows what reason. Zim held onto GIR with one hand, and held a rope in the other. The board he stood on was slanted, he and GIR were on the side that was down, and the side that was held up had a huge long underneath it. Zim had made a see-saw out of resources nearby, although he had to scare and knock out some random human to get the board.

The rope he held was attached to a piece of wood that he also took from the human. This piece of wood was proped up against a large rock that was set on a tree branch that was part of the tree standing right next to the see-saw. Zim was capable of whipping this random system together in only a few minutes. As Zim pulled on the rope, all he could do was hope that he and GIR wouldn't slam into the tree branch...

~Back Inside The C77612~

Dib was screaming uncontrolably, as Arc laughed insanely and Ace watched Dib's reactions intensly, seriousness back to his features.

'This is it...isn't it? I'm going to die here. I'm going to die right now, alone. All alone. Completely...alone.' Dib thought.

"Well, since you're going to die, maybe I'll tell you something after all." Arc said. "See, the spe-"

Suddenly, the ship started shaking, Arc's hand was on the slider currently, and the shaking forced him to slide it up further. Dib started screaming so loudly, that the sound of his screams were now echoing. Ace looked over at the slider's location, and his jaw dropped...

~With Zim~

Zim's Spider Legs were now clinging onto the craft in a couple of areas as he and GIR stood on top of the craft. Zim held one of his Cutting Torches from his PAK, and he was using it to cut a hole into the ceiling so he and GIR could hop in. As the hot flames of the torch burned the metal, he suddenly heard Dib screaming. His eyes grew a bit bigger as he thought about what Dib could be enduring right now. He knew Irken torture was like, and could only imaging what these Akrians were doing to the boy...

Zim kept cutting the metal until he had a round hole completely cut open, and the metal he just cut through fell to the floor inside. He turned his head to his companion. "GIR, let's go!" He yelled, then he jumped down the hole.

"WHEE!!!" GIR exclaimed as he hopped in after his master.

Zim landed perfectly on his feet, and GIR landed on top of him, both falling on the floor. "GIR!!! You dumbass!!" Zim yelled at the robot.

"...I'm sorry." GIR said quietly.

Zim felt a little guilty. "I...it's alright." He said. "Come, GIR." He commanded as he started walking down the hallway they ended up in.

"...I'm hungry..." GIR said quietly as he followed Zim.

~With Dib~

The slider was almost at the top, and Dib was screaming so much, his throat was in a lot of pain and his voice was wavering and faultering constantly. Ace was looking at Arc. "Arc....why don't you max it out." He turned his head to Dib. "If he lives through that, then..."

"Then we could really, seriously use this boy. Especially if we completely break his spirit." Arc replied. "Excellent~" He said. He then pushed the slider up to the very top of the scale.

Dib was now under so much pain, he couldn't focus on anything. Nothing in sight. Not voices. Not even thoughts. Nothing...at all.

Nothing...

~Back To Zim~

The two ran down the hallway together, Zim leading the way. Dib's scream grew louder, and the Irken picked up more speed the more he heard Dib scream. 'Dib....I'll get you out of this place." He thought as he ran straight at the source of the screaming. He saw that there was an automatic door there, so he just ran straight at it, not stopping. GIR laughed as he ran with his master, as always, he thought this was some sort of game.

Zim ran right inside, and saw Dib laying on a table being shocked infront of him, and two Akrians sat in chairs to his right. Both Akrians stood up when he entered. "Hi Ziiim~" Arc greeted.

"The Irken." Ace assumed immedeatly. "Glad this ship is only a C77612..." He mentioned. He then ran out the door that lead to the room Dib woke up in.

Arc quickly made his way to Dib's side. He smiled down at the still-being-shocked Dib. "Alrighty! You deserve to know, Dib." He started, making sure his voice was low enough for Zim to not hear. Dib was now all ears as he tired to force his screams to lower to loud grunts and groans of pain instead. "It was an Irken leader named Blue who abducted you. I won't say what she did to you, but let's just say you wouldn't want to experience it again, okay? I hope you can recover those memories, your reaction to it would be priceless! Anywho, I have more important things to do. See ya~" He then ran out of the room through the same door as Ace.

"ZIIIIIIIIIIIIMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!" Dib screamed as he was still being shocked.

"Dib! Hold on!" Zim yelled. He ran over to the the chair Arc previously sat in, and he hopped up onto the seat, and reached over to the panel. He stared at it for a couple of seconds, and saw the slider at the top of the scale, and he slid it down to the bottom of the scale, reducing Dib's pain untill he was being very mildly shocked, and his screaming stopped. Zim grabbed the grey switch that turned the shocker on, and pulled on it, turning it off.

Zim then jumped off the seat and ran to Dib's side. He unlatched the machine, flipped it over so it came off of Dib and fell to the side of the table, and moved over a little so he was looking below at the strapped-down human's face.

Dib was soaked in rain and his own sweat. He was panting heavily, his eyes were closed, and he shivered from being cold. Zim actually felt pretty bad for Dib. He thought about how Dib didn't have anyone at school. He had only his sister who didn't treat him well and was currently hospitalized, perhaps to never come out of it. And the only other person Dib had was his father, but from what Zim knew, they weren't very close and his father wasn't home much. Under normal circumstances, Zim would just shake these thoughts away. But lately, things haven't been normal at all.

Zim started to unfasten the strap around Dib's right arm. 'Normal...what would I define our...normal relations as, anyways?' Zim started to wonder as he slipped the first strap off Dib. He saw that Dib still had his eyes closed as he moved to his right leg.

'Dib...he's my arch enemy who stands in my way, right? In my way of conquering Earth. I have sworn to kill him.' He slipped the second strap off Dib's leg, and moved over to Dib's left leg.

'Even though I've sworn to kill him...' He looked up at Dib's face. He saw that he looked like he was in pain. He looked...scared. Scared of what? 'I have to have him around. I have to. I don't know why, but...having him to fight with all the time....it makes me feel fulfilled. It makes me feel..good. It makes me feel...' Zim unfastened the strap around Dib's left leg, and moved over to the last one, Dib's left arm.

'Complete. Dib....completes me..? Wait...how can that be? Why do I have such a burning desire to fight with him all the time? Why...why does it make me feel like this to fight with him..?' Zim wondered in his mind. He shook his head a little. 'No...I guess I'm just a bit confused at everything lately. But...I have to admit it. If Dib wasn't here, I'd be...kinda empty inside...' He concluded in his mind.

Zim tugged at the strap, realising that he had been standing there trying to unfasten it for over about a minute at this point. He growled in frustration, just barely noticing Dib flinch when he did. "Damn leather strap of doom! That's it!"

Zim slipped a glove off, recalling what happened before with Dib as his vision reached the boy's stitched face. He then used one of his long claws to start slicing the strap that refused to let Dib be free. Zim carefully sliced it with great percision even in the dim light of this room. He ignored GIR's squeals of joy as he ran around the room, just so he could be careful not to stab or slice Dib's skin.

He finally broke the last bit of leather in half, and he shoved all of the straps off of Dib. He then looked down at the youngster. Dib had his head turned away from Zim. He shivered as he laid there, wet, on the cold metalic table. Zim knew that humans were thinner skinned than Irkens, and he knew that if he left Dib in this condition, it would probably kill him. Or, it would make him extremely sick, THEN kill him.

Zim leaned against the cold table, he slipped his right hand under the boy's upper back, and his other arm slipped under the backs of Dib's knees. He slowly, carefully, lifted the boy and held him against him, hoping the position wasn't too uncomfortable for the human boy. Zim then started to feel his skin burn.

"Ahh! GI-GIR!! Let's ge-get out of here! Now!" Zim yelled.

"Yes, my master!" GIR agreed as he stopped playing. GIR got to his knees and started punching the floor. Zim quickly walked over to the small robot as he punched the floor enough to break it open.

"Good GIR!" Zim yelled, surprised he could get GIR to listen to him for that long.

And just as Zim said that, he started squealing as he jumped through the hole. Zim jumped down, and let out a small yell as he fell. He landed a bit rough, since the ship had been so high up. He then used his PAK to unleash the Spider Legs again. He started to move down the street quickly.

"GIR, come!" He commanded. GIR just let out a couple of cries as he ran after his master, trailing behind him a bit, but keeping up well for a small robot. As for Zim, he clutched Dib tightly, taking this burning pain that he feared. Dib kept his eyes closed, and seemed to be really out of it. For some reason...he seemed to be scared.

'But....what is he afraid of..?' Zim wondered. He just kept a quick pace up as he made his way to his base. He needed to keep this human alive.

* * *

Alrighty! The next chapter is out. Sorry I couldn't get it out last night, I wanted it to be edited before I released it though, and when I finished the chapter, my friend had already gone to bed, so I had to wait for today. Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter, and I'll keep them coming! Thank you for all of the reviews!! ^^


	4. A Soft Glowing Light

The Irken And The Earthling's Love And War  
Chapter 4  
~A Soft Glowing Light~  
_[ZaDr]_

The rain was pouring down at this point, and Zim was burning from each rain drop that hit him. GIR just happily ran after him, not even caring about the rain as he had the resistant dog suit on. Zim was still using his Spider Legs to move, and he soon saw his house come into his view. He was still holding Dib, who was still in his zoned out state, eyes closed, head turned away from Zim.

"GIR, o-open the door!" Zim yelled.

GIR ran in front of Zim and up to the door. He opened the door, and Zim's Spider Legs went inside his PAK. Zim ran straight inside, then placed Dib down on the couch. He backed up, still in pain since he was now wet. "GIR, watch Dib!" He commanded as he ran to a different room to dress in dry clothes and dry himself off.

GIR shut the front door, then he took his dog suit off. He then walked over to the couch and looked up at Dib who laid there, facing the back of the couch on his side, shivering. GIR shrugged, walked over to the tv, and turned it on. He sat down in front of the tv and watched it, now ignoring Dib completely.

A couple of minutes later, Zim walked into the living room, holding a towel in each hand. Zim walked over to the front of the couch and saw Dib laying there, shaking worse than when he brought him to the house. Dib's hair was messy and matted down, like the fur of a wet dog who had played in the rain for hours. Zim saw how Dib's condition looked, and he didn't like it. Zim then tossed the towels aside on the floor. "Hey...Dib." Zim called. "Get up. I have extra clothes you would probably fit into."

Dib shifted uncomfortably towards the back of the couch. This made Zim's head tilt to the side a little. 'What is up with Dib? Why is he acting like this?' He wondered.

"Hey Dib! You have to get up. You humans are so weak, you'll get sick if you stay like that." Zim said, trying to provoke him to get up.

Dib stayed silent, though he twitched a little when Zim said "weak". 'What...the hell?' Zim thought.

"Dib! You'll never save Earth if you just stay there! Get up, Dib!" Zim said, his voice getting louder.

Dib moved his head a little, and his hand that was in Zim's sight was twitching here and there. Zim was so confused by Dib's behavior. He wanted Dib to yell at him that he would save Earth. He wanted Dib to tell him he could never conquer Earth. He wanted to fight with Dib about Earth. He wanted to fight with Dib about anything. He just wanted Dib to say something.

"Dib..?" Zim asked. "Hey, what's wrong with you?"

Dib continued to ignore him, or at least act as though he was.

"Dib, answer me." Zim ordered sternly.

Dib moved his hand over, then used it to tug on his coat a little. He pulled the coat closer to his body.

"Dib..." Zim grounded out in a dangerously low voice. "I want to know what the problem is. What is bothering you?!" He yelled loudly. He wasn't even mad, just confused and frustrated.

Dib didn't even move this time. Zim couldn't stand this. He moved a bit closer to the couch, and grabbed Dib's right coat sleeve with his hands. "Get up, Dib!" Zim shouted, tugging on the sleeve. Dib shook his head slightly, and Zim glared down at the boy. GET UP!!!" He yelled, pulling hard on the boy's coat sleeve.

Suddenly, Dib shoved his arm back towards Zim, hitting him hard, sending him flying backwards, and causing him to fall on the ground. Dib then sat up as he looked down at the Irken . His eyes glared down at him fiercely, but something else filled them more. It was...fear. Fear filled those eyes.

"Dib...what has gotten you so upset..?" Zim asked. He was seriously wondering what they did to him. Zim knew, from experience, that torture was bad, but Dib was so out of character, even he was starting to get scared.

Dib shifted over on the couch. He stared at Zim with the eyes of someone who looked like they were ready to run and never stop. "....Don't...." Was all he could breathe out.

"....Don't what?" Zim asked.

Dib went silent, his eyes filling with sorrow. He pulled his feet up on the couch, his legs against himself, and wrapped his arms around his legs. "....Just don't...." He whispered.

Zim could hear a harsh hoarseness in the boy's voice. "Dib...your in pain, aren't you?" Zim said, slowly raising to his feet. "Dib, just listen to me. I-"

"DON'T!!!!!" Dib suddenly yelled. He put his head on his knees as he choked back a sob. His eyes squeezed shut tightly. "Just don't say anything!! Stop it!! STOP IT!!!" He screamed.

"Dib, calm down." Zim said, walking a couple steps forward, which brought him directly to the side of the couch. "Di-"

"STOP SAYING THAT!!!! THEY DO CARE, THEY DO CAAARE!!!!!!!!" He screamed.

Zim took a step back. "Dib, I never-"

"THEY DO LOVE ME!!!!! THEY DO!!! They do!! They do...." Dib said, each time he said the words, they grew more and more quiet untill it became a whisper. "I do have people who love me. I do. I'm not completely alone..." He continued to whisper.

Zim stared at the boy. With a sigh, he hopped onto the other side of the couch and turned his head towards the human child. "Dib..." He said. He knew what was going on. Dib wasn't even here. He had been so tortured he was still being tortured, at least in his mind. Zim needed to snap him out of it. "Dib, it's alright. You're not there anymore." He said.

"No....no, you're wrong....I never was alone..." Dib mumbled quietly.

Zim then thought of a new idea, since he figured words weren't about to reach this human. He suddenly lifted his clawed hand up, then back-handed Dib across the right side of his cheek, careful to not let his claws touch the human. He struck the unstitched side of Dib's face, and Dib's head spun with the force, so he was now looking at the back of the couch.

Dib stared mindlessly at the back of the couch, as his mind connected to the world around him. '...Wait....what's happened..? Where's that burning pain? Am...I dead??' Dib's mind wondered. He slowly lifted his head towards Zim. '...What?'

"Dib, are you finally tuned in, or should I hit you again?" Zim asked slowly, hoping that perhaps the strike to his head was enough to wake him up.

Dib stared blankly at Zim. 'Why...is he here?' He started to slowly look around the room, seeing pictures, the television, GIR munching on a taco, and all the parts of Zim's living room. 'What am I doing here? Why am I in Zim's house? What happened?' His mind questioned. His eyes widened as he remembered...

-

_"It was an Irken leader named Blue who abducted you. I won't say what she did to you, but let's just say you wouldn't want to experience it again, okay? I hope you can recover those memories, your reaction to it would be priceless!"_

-

Dib then scooted back against the couch arm, his back proping up against it. He shrunk away from Zim as he stared at his large, red eyes. 'Irken....an Irken did that to me....what will Zim do to me..?' His mind asked as it started to race through random thoughts about torture. 'If...I wouldn't want to experience it again....if my reaction would be "priceless", then what has happened to me..?'

Zim tilted his head as Dib's burnt orange eyes filled with fear. "Um...Dib? Are you mentally functioning correctly, yet?" Zim asked.

Dib remained quiet for a minute. "What...do you want from me?" He asked Zim, his messed up voice wavering. 'Torture...' Something teased Dib's unstable mind.

"What do you mean?" Zim asked. "We shouldn't be wasting so much time. We need to research about those Akrians, and figure out how to kill them." Zim said. He was trying to break Dib into his usual self by provoking him to get up and find a way to save Earth and Irk, as well as he genuinly wanted to do some research. He remembered what The Almighty Tallest had said, about the time limit. They only have 30 days, or it's all out war.

"....Zim....." Dib breathed. "....Are you....going to....kill me?" Dib whispered. His eyes were full of fear and sorrow.

"What?" Zim asked. "Dib, I'm not going to kill you. Why would I? We need to save our homes." He said.

Dib choked back another sob, refusing to let himself cry in front of anyone. "After..." He said, his eyes shifting from Zim's confused Irken eyes to the floor. "When Earth is safe, I'll be killed by you, won't I..?" Dib asked.

Zim could see Dib's eyes shimmer in the lighting of the room, the glassy tears that filled his eyes were clear as day. Zim had never seen Dib like this, ever. He was used to the boy who would snap back that Zim would never defeat him, but now he was asking if Zim would kill him after completeing the mission they were being forced to work together in.

"Dib, I'm not going to kill you." Zim stated truthfully. At this point in time, he had no real want to kill the boy, anymore. In the beginning, he would have handed his squeedly spooch over to kill Dib. These days, he finds fighting with Dib over Earth to be fun. In fact, he has recently been plotting to capture Dib after conquering Earth in the name of the Irken Empire, and he would then keep Dib as a slave. He liked the thought of forcing his worst foe to do his dirty work.

Dib turned his fear filled gaze up to meet Zim's eyes. "You, as well as everyone else in this world, have all stabbed me in the back. How can I trust any of you? I am tired of being lied to, put to shame, and hated. I'm sick of being unloved." Dib said in a very low, dark voice.

Zim stared blankly at Dib, his antennas slumping backwards. "What have the Akrians been filling your head with..?" He asked. With a sigh, he covered his face with his right claw. "Why are you so worried about this, Dib? Com'on, think positively like you usually do!" Zim said, now trying to encourage Dib. He just really didn't like the sad-ass attitude Dib had.

Dib looked down at his hands as he laced his fingers together. "I can't take this pain anymore...Ace is right....I have to stop fooling myself....nobody loves me....nobody ever has..." He said, his voice cracking badly as he spoke.

Zim seriously wasn't dealing with this any longer. He never knew the most annoying human on Earth could be THIS annoying. He grabbed Dib's blue shirt by the collar, and pulled him over the side of the couch, causing him to fall promptly on his ass. Dib leaned his back against the couch, as his right eye closed a bit, and he tilted his head back enough to see Zim glaring down at him from his own seat on the couch.

"Dib, would you get a grip already?!" Zim yelled down at the boy. "Oh, nobody loves me! BIG DEAL!! I've never had parents like you, and no Irken has a sister or a brother! Do you see me crying over it?! No, so get over it, human wormbaby!!" Zim screamed.

With a sigh, Dib looked away. "Your kind doesn't feel like we do, Zim..." He said quietly. "Our feelings are much deeper than that..." He mentioned. 'The Heart...' Those two words tugged at Dib's berserking mind.

Zim hopped off the couch and walked around Dib, turning to face him. His arms were crossed as he leered down at the human. "Dib, just because you're a weak monkey on this filthy planet, does not mean that I automatically feel less than you do. I feel the same feelings you do. I can be happy, I can be sad, I can be mad, I can be scared - but not often!" He released a small sigh. "The point, is that I can feel the same things you do, Dib. Stop acting like you're the only one who feels like this, because you're not." He finished with a sharp edge to his angry voice.

Dib was staring at the floor as he listened. "How about having people around who look through you instead of at you. People who see you there, but don't want to see you there. How do yo-"

Zim suddenly grabbed Dib's shirt by the collar with one claw. He pulled Dib's face close to his own. "DIB!!! Do you know how to listen to someone?!! Do your ears function correctly, or are they there for decoration?! Damn Dib, just stop with this moppy-ass stuff already!" Zim yelled.

Dib just glared at Zim, the light reflection off his glasses blocking his glare a little. "I do listen...but you're just some alien here to torture me. You're part of them, those people that also do this to me. Like those Akrians." He said darkly.

That was the last straw. 'Irkens are NOTHING like Akrians!!! We aren't even remotely similar!! No way, we're closer to humans then we are to Akrians! Comparing us to such filth...what the hell does he think this is?!' His mind screamed.

"You should just let them do what they want. Does it really matter, Zim..?" Dib asked.

'His mind...it's not even here anymore! I'm going to kick his ass, maybe that will bring him back!' Zim thought. 'Besides, I did say I would kick his ass earlier, anyways.'

'Zim...how can I trust you? Even if you feel the same, you have tried to kill me. And...an Irken did something to me. What did that Irken, Blue, do to me? What would you do to me if I gave you the opportunity to do anything you wanted by dropping my guard? By working with you? I can't...' Dib's thoughts questioned.

Zim fisted his free claw. "Dib, I'm not loosing Irk or Earth to the Akrians, you got that?! I refuse to let some weird aliens take what is mine! This includes you, Dib!" Those last four words made Dib cock an eyebrow in confusion. "Earth and all it's inhabitants belong to me alone! I won't lose you to those blue skinned aliens!" Zim screamed.

Zim then punched Dib in the face, Dib's weight shifting back, and causing Zim's grip on Dib's shirt to slip. Dib fell on his ass on the ground. He jerked his head up to the Alien, who sneered at him. Zim quickly moved his hand towards the boy's eyes, gripping his glasses, then pulling them off his face.

"Don't move." Zim commanded the human. He then walked over to GIR, and handed the glasses to him. "GIR, make sure they don't break." Zim said. He shifted his gaze to Dib. "He'll need them when I straighten his sad human ass out." He added.

Zim then advanced towards Dib. Dib shifted nervously, his body becoming proped up on his hands that were stretched out behind him. He moved back a bit, near the door. Zim reached Dib, then stepped on the end of his coat, forcing him to stop shifting towards the door.

"Zim!" Dib yelled. Zim dropped to one knee and one foot, landing himself a diagonal position from Dib, and he grabbed Dib's right shin. He lifted his foot off the boy's coat, and then dragged Dib to his side across the floor, his foot dropping to the floor as Dib's coat was out of the way.

"Dib, I'll make you come back." Zim said in a low, dangerous voice. "I refuse to let you resume this behavior. It annoys me." Zim added darkly.

Zim fisted his right claw and punched Dib in the chest two times in a row. He went to hammer his fist down against, but this time Dib caught and clutched the falling clawed hand. "Stop!" He yellped as he tossed the hand up, causing Zim to lose his balance and fall on his ass.

Zim shook his head. "Oh now, Dib. I'm not going to! I'm bringing you back!" He stated. Zim got up to his feet as his glare plastered firmly on his face. Zim jumped up in the air, shot his foot out, and fell straight down.

Dib's eyes widened as he rolled to the left, just barely avoiding Zim's drop-kick. Zim then took two small steps towards the human boy, and kicked his back hard, causing him to log roll across the ground twice. Dib released a small "ow" as Zim reached the boy's side.

Zim dropped to his knees. He grabbed Dib's throat very easily, no pressure applied. "Are you back yet?" Zim asked.

"Zim..." Dib's eyes were filling with less fear, and most of the sorrow was gone. He looked a bit mind freaked at having Zim's claw on his throat, though.

"Dib, you need to come back. I'm not going to stop beating you untill the Dib I know and hate is back." Zim said, his eyes showing a very strong want in them. Dib could see that even without his glasses on, and he could barely see anything clearly without them on his face.

Dib stared intently into Zim's eyes. "Zim...." His eyes then shifted to the ceiling fan as he watched it slowly spin in circles. "...I'm sorry." He breathed. "You're right. I need to come back. I need to save Earth, and help you save your home planet, Irk, is it?" He made a small sound like a chuckle as his eyes quickly shifted to Zim's face. "So, after this mess is over....want to fight over Earth again?" He asked as a small smirk formed within his lips.

Zim softened his angry, glaring features to his casual, confident ones. "Yeah." He said with a small nod.

"Okay....you can let go, now." Dib said.

"Oh, right." Zim responded as his hand slipped off the boy's throat. "Sorry, you seriously had me at your throat." Zim said.

Dib gave him a bored look. "Ha ha." He said in a monotone voice. Zim just smirked in response, which in turn cause Dib to smirk back.

"Alright Dib." Zim started. "You should change, I have extra clothes. When you're finished, we can head downstairs. I have some things I need to review with you." Zim then walked over to the couch, quickly picking up one towel off the floor. He tilted his head towards Dib. "I'm in charge." He added quickly. He then hopped up on the couch, and sat back. GIR was already sitting in Dib's previous seat (which he swiped during the fight), still holding Dib's glasses and finishing off the taco.

Dib walked over to the couch as Zim took the glasses from GIR. Zim handed the glasses to the human. Zim pointed a clawed finger towards the hall to his own left, receiving a nod from Dib. "I won't be long." He said. Dib reached down and picked up the other towel Zim had brought out in the living room earlier, then headed down the hallway. He passed by a few rooms, untill he found the room that he figured Zim slept in at night.

Dib walked past the bed, and over to a dark wooden dresser. On top of this dresser, there were clothes laid out. Dib picked up the neatly folded clothes and held them in his arms. He then walked out of this room, and looked in a couple of doors in this hall, spotting a bathroom with a shower. He wondered if it worked, so he walked into the bathroom, placed the clean clothes neatly on a small table that stood beside the sink, slid open the door leading into the shower a bit, and reached in to turn the knob a bit, finding that it turned on. Dib touched the water that poured out, finding it was human water.

The boy decided that a shower was a good idea, since he felt disgusting from the day. He walked a couple of steps backwards and kicked the door behind him shut. He then walked over to the shower. It was like a standing cylinder; it had clear glass that was rounded and stretched between each part of the white door frame. Dib slid the door completely open, and started to take off his clothes, starting with the combat knife's sheath. He took the sheath holder out of the coat sleeve, then dropped it on the floor. He then slid his glasses carefully off his face, folded them easilly, and placed them on a small table on the side of the sink. He then started to slip his long, black coat off.

~The Living Room~

Zim sat on the couch, arms crossed as he watched the Angry Monkey Show with GIR. GIR had a wide smile spread across his face as he stared at the screen. "I love the monkey." He said. Zim never really could understand his robotic companion.

Zim shook his head a little, then hopped out of his seat. "GIR, when Dib finishes what he needs to, direct him to the trash can." Zim commanded.

"Yeeeeeeheeeeeee!! Okay!" GIR replied cheerfully.

"Thank you." Zim said. He then headed for the kitchen's trash barrel.

~With Dib~

Dib now stood inside the shower, the water pouring out of the shower head covering his body, like rain. Dib reached for the dial with his left hand, and turned up the hot water a slight bit, releasing a relaxed, small sigh as the water's temperature rose. His hair was soaked, spread over his shoulders, reaching down his back, and covering a good portion of his face.

Dib tilted his head back, eyes squeezed shut tightly. 'I have so many questions to ask.' He started to think. 'I wonder why Zim has running water in his home if it burns him. I wonder if Irkens have something like water, a main liquid to keep everything running properly on Irk.' He then made a weird face, one you'd make if you tasted some new food and you found it tasted terrible. 'I wonder....what if Irkens have no liquids. If they don't, how does Zim stay clean..? Does he stay clean?!' Dib shook his head. 'That's gross to think about...' He thought, a creeping sensation crawling slowly up his spine.

~With Zim~

Zim was downstairs, in the basement of his rather large home. The basement was larger than the rest of his home, and he was currently in a different room in the cellar. This room resembled a human bathroom almost, except for certain things. Zim was standing in what looked like a shower, it had the same cylinder shape as the shower that Dib currently stood in did, aside from the fact that Zim's shower had a black frame to it instead of a white one.

Zim designed the basement to be more Irken, without things getting too out of hand or obvious. He had to be sure he didn't reveal he was an Irken by getting too comfortable with his home environment.

Zim stood in the shower with only the PAK on his back. Two strangly shaped handles and one large dial were in front of him. The one in the middle was large and round, and the other two were curved handles that could be pulled down. Zim pulled the right one three places down, he then pulled the left one two places down, and the center dial he turned quite a bit to the right.

From the shower head at the top of this strange shower, water did not spew. This substance was a definate light blue, and it sprinkled out over Zim in such a strange fashion. It came out in intervals, like a gattling gun. Zim had his eyes shut, his body adapted to the shower controls.

After about a minute, he pulled the left lever up, and his right hand clung to the right lever. The strange light blue liquid swapped over to a very bright, lime green liquid. This liquid pored out of the shower head continuously, like a waterfall. It covered the invader quickly.

~With Dib~

'If Zim got a hold of that invention, he could possibly blow the entire world's sound systems, like speakers, computers, televisions, radios, and he could create such a loud, horrible noise it could cause deafness worldwide, and then I could never stop any horrible plan if I couldn't hear his voice!' Dib frantically thought. He shook his head rapidly. 'NO! That would be really bad!'

Dib always did this to himself. He'd stand in the shower and think about some of the craziest ideas of how Zim could take over Earth. This is how much his life revolved around the alien; so much that it was almost the only thing on Dib's mind.

Dib then sighed as he reached for his unstitched shoulder, the shoulder that instead held the scar of his past. He gripped it, and he noticed something very strange. Human skin is soft, yet when he held his shoulder, he noticed that one rather large, spot of his shoulder wasn't very soft at all.

His eyes squinted a bit in confusion as he ungripped his shoulder. He used his fingers to press on a little bit of the area around this strange phenomenon, his skin easilly sinking with the pressure a bit, then lifting as he pulled his fingers off each place. He then pressed down on the strange skin that wasn't soft. To him, it felt like some force was pushing back on his finger tips. He could only press the skin to whatever this strange, hard force was. His skin was not sinking like the rest of his skin.

Dib dropped his hand to his side. He gawked at the scared skin. He saw nothing strange on the surface, though he noticed that the strange feeling came from a part of his scar. The scar from his past encounter with the crazed man started near his neck, and trailed over his shoulder and down his back a little, curling as though it was trying to grasp his shoulder blade. He remembered having been pinned to the ground as the man sliced him open with a switch blade. He visibly shuddered at the memory, and shook his head. He didn't want to think about it. He wished he couldn't remember it that well.

Dib then sighed as he looked over at the bathroom door from behind the glass of the shower. His eyes traced all the indented lines that formed the square designs on the door. his breath quick as it fogged up the glass a little and blocked his view eventually. He closed is eyes and took a deep, slow breath. 'I'm not gonna worry about anything.' He thought. 'It's alright. I'll be fine. I'm worried over nothing. The attack was part of the past. The skin....I don't know what it is, maybe it's absolutely nothing. For now I won't worry about it. I'll worry about getting through this night in one piece.' He thought. He then stood there starring at the glass blankly. 'Isn't Miss Bitters coming back tommorrow from Jamaca..? Oh God...' Dib thought as he hung his head. He wasn't having an easy time cheering up today, that's for sure.

~With Zim~

Zim felt relaxed as the green liquid still poured on him. He then knew it was time to switch again, so he gripped the left and right levers with each hand. Zim pulled the right lever up two places. The lime green water suddenly stopped. He then turned the large dial in the middle of the levers to the right a slight bit more than it was at, then pulled the left lever down two places. A dark shade of puple liquid came down on him like rain.

Zim smiled, reguardless of how confusing things had been lately. This daily ritual of his always reminded him of his home planet, Irk. All Irkens, no matter what kind of position they may hold when they grow older, start off by living on Irk for a good 30 years or so, so of course Zim admired anything that reminded him of home.

Zim then sighed a relaxed sigh as he turned the levers back to their normal places, and turned the dial left untill it was off. He felt content, and always did after these required showers. All Irkens did, after all. He slid the glass door open and started to slip his night clothing on.

These night clothes consisted of long black sweat pants that were made of a fur softer than any found on Earth. He slid on a pink, long sleeved shirt that was really long on him, but fit more snug than his normal shirts did. This was also made of the same material as the pants were. Zim's planet consisted of a good variety of animals with such soft fur that it would be overly-shocking to the humans. They would find it far too strange that Zim had soft clothes and the humans could possibly become interested in him.

Zim finished slipping all his clothing on, then walked out of the bathroom. He stretched and yawned, tired from the exciting day. Then, he crossed his arms and took on a pouty pose as a thought crossed his mind. '...Do humans usually take this long to bathe..? Sheesh...'

~With Dib, 12 Minutes Later~

Dib finally had finished his bath and was currently dressing. He had wore socks on his feet and a pair of long black pants that he took from Zim's room. Dib picked up the brown shirt that he had grabbed from Zim's burrow and slipped his head through the hole, then straightened the bottom. He then started fixing his hair. Since he was young, his hair was always styled in that single spike that loomed over his large head. It didn't take much to fix it into that style anymore. When he was finished with that, Dib picked up his glasses carefully and slipped them on his face.

When Dib finally finished, he folded then picked up his soaked clothes. He left the bathroom and walked down the hall, appearing in the living room where GIR laid on the couch watching the television. "Where's Zim?" Dib asked.

GIR looked up at Dib happily. "He hopped in the trash can!" He said happily. "He's in the basement!"

"Thanks." Dib said. He walked over to the kitchen and over to the trash can. He stomped down on the pedal and the trash can's lid shot up. Dib then jumped up, grasping the edge of the can and pulling himself up enough to get his leg up and over it, then hopping down and landing on the ledge below. He sighed as the ledge slowly lowered to the ground. When it neared the floor, Dib jumped off and landed with his foot, knee, and hand on the ground to catch his fall. He stood up and dusted himself off as Zim walked up to him.

"Dib, you humans are slow at taking showers, you know." He stated.

Dib cocked an eyebrow at the alien before him. "What are you talking about?" He asked. "Since when do Irkens shower?"

It was Zim's turn to tilt his head to the side. "Um, what, you think that just because we have no filthy water on our planet, that automatically means we have no liquids at all?" Zim asked. "Just for your information, Dib, we have liquids that are far cleaner than that disgusting water you monkeys use." He explained a harsh tone slipped into his voice.

Dib crossed his arms defensively. "Well, how should I know? You Irkens are weird, anyways. You probably aren't that clean anyways if your showers are so quick." Dib retaliated, receiving a stern glare from the Irken.

"Uhh...if you two are done, we really would like to hurry with this conversation so we can go sleep since, well, we're all tired." Came the groggy voice of Purple.

Zim turned around as Dib looked up. The computer screen that was used for communication path ways was on, and on the screen showed Red and Purple. The two Irkens sat in black chairs in a large room that was built of pink and black colors. There were Irkens running around behind the two frantically, some carrying papers (as Dib assumed they were), others carrying random objects. Other Irkens that stood in the background were slightly taller than them, and they worked on control panels that lined the walls fully. There were Irkens sleeping on the floor in a lot of various spots, most beside an Irken that stood at the control panels. It was obvious these Irkens were there for switching places with the working ones every now and then. The Irkens that were currently working looked exhausted. Everything was in an uproar on Irk.

"My Tallest." Zim started, bowing respectfully to his leaders. "This is the human I told you about. His name is Dib." He explained.

Dib took a couple of steps foward so that he now stood beside Zim. "Are you...the leaders of the Irkens?" He asked.

Purple and Red both nodded. "Yes human, we are the Irken leaders." Red said with a nod. "To explain our situation, our planet Irk and your planet Earth are surrounded by the Akrians. When I say surrounded, I mean surrounded. The Akrians have given us a time limit of 30 days. We need to plan a way to destroy them fast, or we'll be caught in a huge war. Dib, they said that only the Irkens and the humans together can defeat them. Please, help us destroy them before we are all killed off by them."

Dib closed his eyes as he took in a deep breath. "I will help the Irkens, but, I have one condition for you to accept honorably before I agree to this." He said.

"What do you want?" Purple asked.

"I ask that you do not stab me in the back as we work together or after we finish saving out planets." His eyes opened to show a slight fear swirled with his stern burnt orange eyes. "If you either betray me or try to kill me, I will not work with you again and we can all just die. I won't care at that point to help anymore. Got it?" He asked darkly, his hand gripping his soaked clothing so tightly that it was turning white.

"We will not betray you or stab you in the back. That means you can't do the same to us either, alright?" Purple said, slight agression mixed with defense spewing from his voice.

"Agreed." Dib replied simply. Dib and Purple stared sternly at each other for minutes straight.

"Umm..." Zim started. "My Tallest, why are you in the Defense Sector?" He asked, recognizing that his leaders were in the defense section of Irk's World Control Center, when the Tallest members would usually be in the Center Sector during a world emergency. He knows this from when he was really young, and still living on Irk. There was a quick emergency meeting when Planet Jackers attacked a couple of planets that some really high-class Irken Invaders were trying to defend. About 12 planets that the Tallest were after at the time were in danger of being taken, so the Tallest at the time decided to plan a small attack that worked and they rescued their planets.

"Zim, the Center Sector is such a mess right now..." Red said. "One of the Akrians sabbotaged it." He added.

"WHAT ABOUT THE CONT-" Zim started to scream, getting cut off.

"It's fine, Zim." Red said. "It's safe, remember, it's down far below, and five Irkens witnessed the attack on the Center Section. None of them saw that Akrian go below." He stated.

Zim sighed as he fell back in his chair, relaxing. Dib just gave him a really weird look with his eyes, confused. "What exactly..?"

"Nevermind. It's not important." Purple said to Dib.

"It's alright, Dib." Zim said. "We should probably sleep now. We'll be busy for...who knows how long." Zim said to Dib. "Thank you for the help, My Tallest, I wish you all well." Zim said respectfully to his leaders.

"Yes, thank you Zim. Talk to us tommorrow." Red said. The screen then went black, automatically turning off.

"Come, human filth." Zim muttered to Dib as he walked past him.

Dib followed Zim, head tilted very slightly as he watched the alien in front of him. 'Zim....he might have more on his mind than I give him credit for.' Dib thought.

Zim hopped up on the platform. Dib hopped up on it after him. The ledge started to raise.

'I wonder...what was his life like before he came to Earth?' Dib's mind questioned. "How are Irkens born? What happens throughout their childhoods? Do they...even have a childhood?'

The ledge soon reached the top. Zim jumped up, gripped the edge of the barrel, and pulled himself over, landing perfectly on his feet. Dib followed suit, somwhat falling on the floor rather than landing, though.

'What were they talking about down there? Cont...count? Counter? Control?? Control..what?' Dib's mind inquired. 'I'm so lost about all of this...' He shook his head with a sigh as his grip on his soaked clothes tightened.

"Dib." Zim called, stopping in his tracks. To his right was the hall to the rooms. In front of him was the couch where GIR was aparently "sleeping"; his lights were black and he sat back confortably, his back against a pillow that was proped against the arm of the couch, and his side and head rested agains the back.

"What is it?" Dib asked as he stopped behind Zim.

Zim walked slowly over to a cupboard that was hung on the wall. It was one with no shelves, but instead had a door that you could open to reveal it's contents inside. Zim opened it with ease, since it was within his reach and hung low, and he grabbed a blanket that sat inside of it. There was a stack of clean, folded blankets in this cupboard.

Zim then shut the door to the cupboard and he walked over to GIR. He laid it across the small robot's body. This blanket was huge, and could easilly stretch over the entire couch. Zim fixed the blanket a little, then looked over at Dib. "You will sleep here, on the couch." He said firmly.

"Alright, thanks." Dib said, placing his folded, soaked clothed on the table beside the couch he would be sleeping on. Zim turned around, and started heading for the hall to his room. "Good Night." Dib said softly, causing Zim to stop in his tracks just at the halls' entrance.

Zim gripped the wall's edge between the hall and the living room with his claw as he turned his head towards Dib. "Good Night, Dib." He replied. He then continued down the hall.

Dib slowly and carefully sat on the couch beside GIR. He took his glasses off his face and placed them on the table. He pulled the blankets over himself as he closed his eyes. He had his head rested against the pillow that was proped against the arm of the couch, and his back was snug against the back of the couch. He made sure his legs weren't interfering with GIR's, making his feet rest off the couch a little. He slowly slipped away into sleep.

~Dib's Dream~

_Dib's eyes opened. He was about eight years old, and he was standing in the middle of a small park. It had a kid's slide, a swing set, pretty flowers around, and it was raining. He looked around to see he was completely alone. No Professor Membrane, no Gaz, nobody._

_He walked over to the only swing set in the small park, and he sat down on one of the two swings that was attached to it. He stared out at the street. '...I know dad or Gaz will come for me...soon...they'll come.' Dib's young mind told himself. 'I know dad's always busy, and Gaz is always mad at me, but they wouldn't leave me alone.'_

_He started to swing back and forth, staring at the street, waiting for one of the two to bring him home. He continued to wait, even though it was dusk. He had no way of contacting either, and he was all alone._

_More time ticked by, the sky was dark. Dib stopped swinging and mearly sat there. His stomach growled, begging for food. His hair was matted down by the relentless rain. He suddenly got up off of the swing. "....Is somebody going to come for me? Dad? Gaz?" He called, recieving no response. No signs of them coming for the child who started to fear this lonliness a bit._

_Dib then decided that maybe he should just try to go home himself. He was scared, he had nothing else he could do. He started to walk down the street he remembered coming from. A few of the street lights glowed dimmly on this street, but a couple were out, and none shone brightly. The rain and the darkness that was creeping in weren't making this dark street any brighter._

_Dib continued to walk, holding his upper arms with his opposite hands. At this point in time, he was wearing a brown shirt with the same face that he normally has imprinted on it, black jeans, black boots, and his glasses. He was cold, his body shivering, and his teeth chattering._

_"Aww...Membrane's brat is all alone." A chilling voice reached Dib's small ears, causing him to freeze in his tracks. "You look so cold, and...scared." The voice said "sympathetically"._

_Dib spun around. "Who are you?!" He yelled demandingly. He refused to let a stranger scare him._

_"I'm a friend of your father's." The man said, stressing the word friend too much for Dib's liking. "I'll help you." This man said as he stepped forth, into Dib's view._

_Dib looked over this man that stood in front of him. His hair was a light shade of blonde, and it was long, reaching his lower back. His eyes were a dark color, almost black. He stood in an akward position, kind of hunched over, but not enough to be a physical problem, even the young Dib knew this. His clothes were all black, and his nails...were painted a faint color of red. It looked like the rain had washed this color away._

_"No way!!!" Dib yelled. "My dad taught me not to talk to strangers! NO!!" The youngster yelled at the man._

_The man's calm face twisted into a creepy, please one. "Aww, shucks, kids these days are TOO smart. You're TOO smart. Like your FATHER....I'll get rid of you. You'll go far, far away from here, that way, you cannot be like your father!!" The man yelled. He then went into a fit of laughter, holding his stomach as his face turned red from his laughing. He laughed for, what seemed to the young Dib, 7 hours. In reality, it was only around a minute._

_Dib's legs were stuck to the ground, as though ice had encased them. He tried to move his legs, but he couldn't. His pupils were as tiny as they could be, his body shook hard, and his heart raced. The man soon stopped his laughing, and lifted his face to look at the young Dib. His smile was large, and his eyes were like those of a wolf who had not eaten for weeks._

_"PROFESSOR MEMBRANE WILL NOT LIVE ON!!!" He screamed at the top of his lungs as he charged towards Dib._

_The frightened child finally could move, and he stepped back two steps, then swiftly turned around and started running down the street aimlessly. His voice was completely gone. He just moved. Everything rushed by him. His surroundings melted into swirls. His foot then came down towards the ground at a slant, and his foot twisted as it connected, forcing his ankle to twist. He did not cry out, he mearly fell to the ground in silence._

_Dib tried to push himself up with his hands, but before he could stagger to his feet, he felt a large hand grip his unwounded ankle. Dib's small body was pulled backwards by the crazed man, and Dib's only resistance was to push his hands down agains the cold pavement below himself, forcing his skin to scrape up badly._

_The crazed man loomed over him now as Dib felt his body not being pulled anymore. "Let's...start with this, shall we?" The man asked, then chuckled._

_Dib didn't understand what he meant. Dib then felt one of the man's hands push against the right side of his back, pinning him down with ease. His young mind wondered 'why one hand..?' The next thing he knew, he was screaming in pain._

_The insane man had stabbed a knife into Dib's shoulder, near his neck. The man pulled the kife through the young Dib's skin. Dib's mind raced through so many thoughts, so many memories, and this unbearable pain, and unbelievable fear, took him over. He was so mixed up inside. All he wanted was to go home. To see his father smile down at him and pat him on the head for studying and doing well in school. He wanted his sister, Gaz, to shift her glare up to him from her book as he sits next to her on the couch._

_Dib's screaming was either ignored, or not heard, as the burning pain reached his back. The knife was then pulled out of his back, and the man's hand's pressure on Dib's back lightened enough for him to pull himself away from the man. He pulled himself foward, but the man used the unequiped hand to grab him by the neck, causing Dib to freeze, shaking, frightened._

_"I REFUSE to let you get away." The man said darkly. Dib screamed, wishing someone would come, but nobody would. Dib then did something that fear pushed him to do. He kicked bacwards, hitting the kneeling man in the face dead on. The man released him only because he was caught off-guard. Dib got up and started running, but the man wasn't finished with him._

_Dib felt something really hard connect with his back, surprising him, tossing him into a vortex of pain, and he fell slowly to the ground. Shards that shimmered in the poor lighting of the area fell to the ground like a beautiful, morbid rain of black. Dib slowly lifted his head, feeling pain in various areas of his own body. It was like needles, fat, huge, long needles, that had been shot into his body, scraped against his body, and stabbed through his body, rapidly._

_These shards were glass shards from a random bottle that the crazed man had picked up and tossed at the young boy. It was unsanitary, dangerous, and painful for Dib. The young body slowly got up onto his feet. He turned around to have a large hand wrap around his throat. His body was hoisted off the pavement as he looked up at the man with frightened eyes. The man grabbed Dib's glasses with his free hand, pulled them off his face, and threw them aside on the pavement, breaking them. The man smirked at him, then threw him backwards, causing Dib to land on his back._

_The image of this man was fuzzy, wavy and swirled, dark, his hearing ability was shutting off as his vision started to close in, locked on the man. Dib pulled himself backwards across the ground. Then, one sound changed everything. A sound, that is heard commonly each day to each person. A sound most people who have no guilt would barely even notice, or barely aknowledge. The single sound of a police car's siren made the man jump out of his skin. "NO! They must know about the girl! DAMN IT!!! I almost had vengence!!" He screamed. The crazed man then took off._

_Dib let his fragile body slump down, his back getting pierced in two seperate places by glass, and his arm getting sliced a bit my one shard. He stared up at the sky, his blood spilling onto the ground. Down the road, he heard a stuggle happening. He then heard the crazy man screaming at the police man to let go of him. He was saying "I never killed that girl! It's only paint I spilled! I didn nothing!!!"_

_Dib's lifeless eyes traced the various black and blue hues of the darkened sky above him. The dark clouds swirled with the navy sky weren't telling him how to get home. He was so confused. He decided that when he got home, he would sneak into his own room through the window, go to the bathroom to tend his own wounds, and go to bed. He would tell his father the next day, though he had no idea if his father would believe him...if anyone would, really. Dib then started to raise, and he ended up in a sitting position. He then stared down the road...when he saw a strange lumination of light shining from far down the street._

_'...What is this..? A glow...a light? What..?'_

~End Dream~

Dib's eyes opened slowly. He sat up a bit, and saw a soft, orange glow coming from the hallway. He looked over at GIR, who did not react to this. He reached over to the table, picked up his glasses, and put them on his face. Dib then got up off of the couch carefully, and walked over to the hallway. He looked down it, to see the light shining from Zim's room. He walked down the hall slowly, and over to the doorway, extremely curious about this soft light. It was drawing him, for some reason.

Dib peaked through the open door, and saw that Zim had a strange light on the bed beside himself. It was like a lantern, but the light inside floated. Zim's bright pink eyes were closed as he sat cross-legged on the bed, hands rested over his legs, as though he was consentrating. His eye cracked open as it stared at Dib. His made Dib take one step back.

"Dib." Zim called. "Come here." Zim's voice was very calm, confident, yet easy, relaxed. Dib slowly walked into the room, haulting at the sound of Zim's voice. "Close the door." Zim said. Dib shut it lightly, not wanting to disturb GIR.

Dib walked over to the bed, and sat down next to Zim. The strange light was sitting in front of him. "What is this..?" Dib asked slowly as he gawked at the light.

"Inside of this lantern, there is a special butterfly, or as Irkens would call them, Gashu Catsgot Flutter."

"...A bit of a long name for a butterfly, don't you think?" Dib asked.

"Well, the name means heart flutter." Zim explained. "Anyways, these butterflies relax a lot of species for some reason. Irkens and obviously humans are relaxed by them." Zim said.

"Why do they glow?" Dib asked curiously.

"It's a mystery, really. Nobody knows." Zim said.

"Where did you get it from?" Dib asked.

"I have had her with me the entire time. I keep her in the last room down the hall." Zim said.

"Do you take care of her..?" Dib asked.

"Of course I take care of her!" Zim said. "The good thing about Gashu Catsgot Flutters is that they don't back talk their masters." He said, pouting a little.

Dib let out a small laugh. "Do I annoy you?" He asked innocently.

Zim responded with a nice glare. "Of course you do worm baby. You better believe it." He said, sounding annoyed. Dib just smiled at him, causing Zim to shake his head a little.

Dib's gaze returned to the lantern, as well as Zim's gaze. "Why do you have her here, anyways?" He asked.

Zim looked up at the human with a confused look. "What do you mean?"

"You said you keep her in the back room. If that's true, then why is she here?" Dib asked.

Zim's gaze turned to the butterfly. "I saw you. You looked like you were in pain." He said. "As you slept. You were tossing and turning, GIR came to me. He said you wouldn't stop, even he seemed worried. So, I brought this butterfly in here, and waited for you. GIR probably already fell back asleep." Zim explained.

"Yeah, GIR's asleep." Dib responded. His stare turned from the butterfly to Zim. "I didn't mean to wake up GIR." He added, this actually being an indirect apology.

"Why did you? Were you having a nightmare?" Zim asked.

"Yeah." Dib responded simply.

"What was it about?" Zim asked, curious about what a human has nightmares about.

Dib lowered his head just right so the lumination from the butterfly hid his eyes behind the shine. "The past." He said, his lips forming a very small smile. "I always have nightmares. Ever since...that time, I have had nightmares." Dib said. He wasn't refering to the time he got the scar...he was refering to the time he was abducted. Since then, he's had nothing but painful nightmares. Some of the past, others of different things. It varied, but it meant nothing to Dib anymore. He was so used to it by now, that he just dealt with the pain.

Zim tilted his head to the side at his response. "Really?" He asked. "I have nightmares about the future, not the past." Zim said.

Dib looked up at Zm. "The future?" He asked. "Why the future?"

It was Zim's turn to focus his eyes on the butterfly. "Well, the past has already come and gone...but the future has yet to come." Zim said. "Only 29 days are left Dib." He mentioned, his eyes shooting to the clock on the nightstand beside his bed.

Dib looked over at it as well. It was 12:34 AM. Dib looked up at the alien. "Yeah, and tomorrow, we have a long day ahead of us." He added to Zim's previous statement.

"Yes, we do." Zim said. "Dib, go back to sleep. You can take Gashu Catsgot Flutter with you." Zim commanded, holding the landern up for the human to take.

"Uhh...thanks." Dib said, taking Zim's kind offer. Dib got off of Zim's bed as Zim scooted back to lay down at the head of the bed. Dib walked over to the door, opened it carefully, then shut it behind himself softly. He then made his way down to the living room again. He placed the butterfly's lantern on the table stand beside the couch, took off his glasses and placed them next to the lantern, then he got back on the couch. He laid down and shifted until he was comfortable, then he drifted off into sleep...

-

_"....The Heart...."_

-

* * *

Hey guys! Sorry this chapter took so long. With the holidays and busy week, I've been trying to get this up, but everytime I tried to work on it, I was interupted. Anyways, I hope you enjoy it, and expect the next chapter to be exciting! I think I should be able to get more chapters up faster for a while, so I'll try hard to do so! ^^


	5. Sickening Sabotage

The Irken And The Earthling's War And Love  
Chapter 5  
~Sickening Sabotage~  
_[ZaDr]_

Dib's eyes opened as he heard a loud laughing beside him. His eyes focused as he sat up. His eyes landed on GIR, who was laughing at the television. Dib then heard another sound, the sound of something sizzling. His eyes shifted over to the kitchen, where he saw Zim dressed normally and working hard as he cooked. He was cooking waffles, cooking two big waffles on two seperate waffle cookers, and he was currently mixing the third waffle. On the kitchen table, there was a pitcher of some yellow liquid that had ice floating in it, as well as a pitcher of some strange green liquid. The human could not distinguish either.

Zim glaced over at Dib, then turned his attention back to his food. "Earthling, there is some lemonade on the table for you. I can't drink, after all." Zim said.

Dib looked over at the table beside the couch. The clothes that were soaked from yesterday now laid there clean, dry, and they even smelled fresh, though Dib didn't recognize the scent, which lead him to believe it was an Irken scent. He picked up his glasses, and slipped them on his face. The final thing he realised, was that the lantern with the butterfly in it was gone. He picked up his clothes, and got up off the couch.

Dib walked over to the cross between the hallway and the living room, then turned his head towards the working Irken. "Zim, what happened to the lantern?" He asked the Irken.

"What are you talking about?" Zim asked, his vision still on the waffle mix that he stirred.

"Last night...the butte-"

"Don't know." Zim said, sharply cutting Dib off.

Dib tilted his head to the side. "Zim..." He called, unsure of what to say. He searched for words in his head, confused as he wondered why Zim was acting like this. Zim actually seemed...kinda nice when that lantern with the butterfly was around. Dib then thought of something.

-

"Anyways, these butterflies relax a lot of species for some reason. Irkens and obviously humans are relaxed by them."

-

"Heh..." Dib released from his lips as his head lowered. Zim glanced quickly at Dib when he made this noise, but Dib didn't notice. Dib then walked down the hall. As he walked, one question lingered in his mind. 'Wait...if Zim is relaxed by the butterfly...why has he forgotten about it..?'

Dib reached the bathroom and walked inside. He looked over the clean clothes, and saw that the knife was in its sheath, and the sheath was in the coat's sleeve. He pulled it out of its sheath about halfway, and saw that the combat knife didn't even have a bit of black blood on it. Also, Zim's blood wasn't on it, either. Yesterday, he stabbed the knife into the Irken's ankle when they fought during school time.

Dib's eyes darted up to the clock that was hung on the wall. It was positioned to oppose the mirror that hung above the sink. Dib swiftly pulled the shirt off of himself. He stared at the mirror in front of him. He was looking at the reflection of his scared shoulder.

'I remember recieving this scar. Since that time, I've had countless nightmares about the encounter, most of which play through everything that happened.' Dib started to think. 'When it happened, I walked...possibly for hours before I found my way home. I first figured out how to open a shut window from the outside then...and I learned how to break into my own room. Dad and Gaz were both sleeping when I got home, so I was able to sneak into the bathroom with ease at that time. I took a lot of time to pull the glass out of my body, and I had a lot of "unexplainable" cuts from that.' Dib made a strange sound, like a cross between a sigh and an annoyed huff. 'I used a first aid kit to clean out my wounds. I had no clue about stiches since I hadn't really known too much at the time, especially about medical treatment. I ended up...' His eyes closed tightly as he slipped an arm through his coat sleeve. Dib hadn't even realised that he was almost done dressing, since he was caught up in his memories of the past.

~With GIR~

GIR was holding his stomach with his left hand, as his right hand pointed straight at the television screen. He was laughing so much, a human, or possibly even an Irken, would have probably passed out by now. Zim was in the middle of cooking the last waffle. He refused to let anyone eat before the food was done, and everyone was present. This was only because he didn't want to watch GIR eat, and instead he'd rather stuff his own face so he would be able to ignore it. Zim really couldn't stand filth, and he'd be going to school soon, where plenty of filthy human pigs would be eating their filthy human food.

"Dib better hurry..." Zim grounded out as he opened the waffle cooker. The last waffle was done, and Zim was a very impatient alien.

Dib then walked forth, into the living room. He stretched his arms above his head as he let out a loud yawn, making Zim glare up at him. "Thanks." Dib said to Zim quickly, refering to the clean clothes he now wore. He figured he might as well say it, since he assumed Zim was the one who cleaned his clothes for him.

"What the hell was that about?" Zim asked, angrilly as he slammed the third plate down on the table.

"What was what about..?" Dib asked, confused.

Zim visibly shook, forcing Dib to furrowed his eye brows in confusion. "I mean about the noise and the "thanks". What was that?" Zim asked, his voice having a bad edge to it.

"A yawn and a thanks?" Dib said, in that tone that screamed "duuuh".

Zim just shook his head as he placed eating utensils on each plate. His eyes were narrowed as he put down the last fork forcefully. "THE WAFFLES ARE DONE!!!" He screamed suddenly, causing Dib to jump back.

Zim then pulled out a chair, sat down, and started eating. Dib slowly neared a chair opposite of Zim which would have put him farther away from the alien, but GIR suddenly charged in at a rediculous speed, and jumpped in that exact seat. Dib did a double take as he saw GIR was dressed up in his dog suit. 'Only a few minutes ago he was still out of disguise!' Dib's mind yelled.

Dib then realised there were only two choices, both of which placed him right next to both Zim and GIR. He sighed and walked over to the seat that faced away from the cooking area where the stove and cupboards lined the wall.

Dib looked up at the lemonade that sat in front of him. He was really thirsty and hungry from the previous day, so he grabbed the handle of the lemonade's pitcher, and he used his free hand to grip the glass cup that stood to the left of his plate. He slowly poured some of the lemonade into the cup, then placed the pitcher down. He looked down at the thirst-quenching drink, watching the single piece of ice that floated inside of it. He held up the cup to his face, then sniffed it, finding the scent to be normal.

"You didn't happen to spike it with some sort of scentless, alien substance that will make me explode from the inside, did you?" Dib asked Zim as his eyes focused on the yellow liquid.

Zim rolled his eyes as he swollowed the piece of waffle that was inside his mouth. "No, Dib." He said grouchly.

Dib sighed, and took a small sip from the cup, breaking it away from his lips, and releasing a relieved huff as he placed it down. He found that it seemed to be safe. He then eyed the waffle. The possible waffle of doom. Dib figured that since he was sleeping and dressing as Zim prepared this meal, that he would have put something in this waffle to attempt to kill him with it. It was Zim's chance, after all.

Dib stabbed the waffle with his fork. He then slowly started to cut off a piece of the waffle, so slowly, that Zim's eyes could not leave the knife's actions. He watched the butter knife slowly draw across the soft substance of his own waffle. Zim's eyes grew more narrow the more he watched. The tention coming off of Zim was so intense, that GIR started to shove the whole waffle in his mouth, perhaps in fear that Zim would steal it...for whatever reaons. Nobody knew with GIR. As soon as GIR's waffle was devoured, he jumped up off the chair, and started to run around in frantic circles, ovals, and infinity signs as he played happily.

Dib finally cut the knife all the way through the waffle, then he slowly lifted the piece that was staked on his fork to his mouth. He stared at it, then sniffed it, then stared at the piece again suspiciously. "Did you..?" Dib asked slowly.

Zim's clawed hand gripped his own fork so tightly that it snapped in two, making Dib's head snap towards the Irken. The two halves of the fork hit the table a bit off time with each other, then Zim slammed his fisted flaw on the table. "I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!!!" He screamed at the top of his lungs.

Dib scooted his seat over, slightly away from the Irken. "What?" Dib asked, confused. One thing to learn about Dib; he's not very sharp when he first wakes up.

"YOU!!!!!" Zim yelled as his other claw that held his knife in a death grip shot pout, pointing the knife straight at Dib. "YOU'RE SUCH AN ANNOYING HUMAN!!!! ALL YOU DO IS QUESTION THIS AND QUESTION THAT!!!" Zim yelled.

GIR snuck over to the table as Zim bitched Dib out. He quickly picked up the pitcher of green liquid and poured it into the empty cup that was placed beside his empty plate. He put the itcher down, and quickly, quietly, made his way back over to the couch.

Dib pointed to the pitcher that GIR just took some liquid from. "What IS that, anyway?" Dib asked curiously. He had already forgotten that Zim is pissed off at him. Another thing to learn about Dib; when he wakes up in the morning, his focus on anything is easily taken away.

Zim was seething with anger. His clawed hands were shaking. His eyes were narrow and his teeth were showing. "WHAT THE HELL DOES SPLOOSHIE HAVE TO DO WITH ANY OF THIS??!!!" Zim screamed at the young boy before him.

Dib went silent as he stared at the Irken. 'What...did he just say?' His mind asked. 'Did he just say..?' Dib's gaze was drawn to the green liquid, then he slowly looked up at the glaring alien. "...Splooshie..?" Dib asked quietly.

"AGAIN! What does splooshie have to do with YOUR stupidity?!!" Zim yelled.

Dib stared at Zim as he blinked twice. He was completely speechless, making Zim switch from an angry to a more annoyed face. Dib then covered his mouth as a small chuckle came from him.

"What?" Zim asked as Dib started to chuckle harder. "What are you laughing about?" Zim asked. The only response he received was Dib's chuckle starting to swap into a laugh. "Do you dare restrict an answer from ZIM?!!" Zim yelled.

Dib then bursted out laughing, unable to control his urge anymore. Zim's anger rose as he watched Dib fall to the floor on his side, laughing so hard he could barely breathe.

"What is so FUNNY?!!" Zim screeched at the human, only making him laugh harder.

Dib started to roll back and forth across the ground, his face turning a bright shade of red as he laughed. GIR looked over at the alien and human, and he started to laugh obnoxiously, which was only prevent Dib from stopping.

"You too?!" Zim yelled, fisting his claw in the air. GIR stopped laughing as he watched his master fist his claw. He sat there staring at him for a few seconds, then started laughing harder than he previously did. Zim growled with frustration. "WHAT IS SO FUNNY??!!!" He screamed loudly.

Dib forced himself to stop laughing, then GIR stopped laughing. He rolled over to face Zim, then pointed at the pitcher full of green liquid on the table. "Splooshie." He said bluntly, then both he and GIR went into another fit of laughter. The last thing to learn about Dib's behavior when he awakens; he finds the weirdest things funny.

There's something to learn about Zim, though; he's not a morning person.

Zim was so frustrated with Dib at this point that he stomped over to the human, he pulled back his leg slowly, then swiftly kicked Dib in the ribs, causing the boy to slide backwards across the floor, the wall being the only thing to stop him from sliding. Dib continued laughing, and GIR laughed harder at Zim's reaction to everything.

Zim growled as he stomped on the floor. He stormed over to the black haired boy, gripped his shirt's collar, and pulled him up off the ground. Zim held him up so he hovered off the ground, and he lifted his free claw to Dib's face. "You REALLY want me to create some scars on this side of your face, don't you?" Zim asked darkly as he pointed a claw at Dib's right, unstiched cheek.

Dib stared at Zim, then chuckled a little. To Zim, this was a little too much. He pulled Dib close to himself, as he was about to lunge him backwards across the room. "SCHOOOOOL!!!!!" GIR screamed suddenly, then started squealing as his eyes shifted from the fighting duo to the tv.

Zim dropped Dib on the floor right in front of himself as he turned his head up to the clock that was on the wall opposite to the stove and cabinents. It was the normal time Zim started walking to school. He leered down at Dib. "We have to go, Dib." He said.

The claws in Zim's house then came down and popped the lenses in his eyes, and placed the wig on his head. Dib shook his head at the Irken. He then got up and started to near the front door, when he turned around to Zim. "Can we stop and get coffee?" Dib asked quickly.

"No." Zim said as he walked past Dib quickly, knocking the human aside. He went out through the door and headed down the street, ignoring Dib.

Dib then looked over at the hall. 'The last room...huh?' His mind asked. Dib quickly made his way to the last room. He opened the door quietly and peaked inside, unaware that Zim had left. He looked around this room, it was kind of like a study room with two desks and chairs to match them, one desk held papers, and another held a computer. Dib scanned this poorly lit room, and saw no lantern, and no butterfly. He scratched his forehead. '...Was it a dream..?' His mind asked.

Dib shut the door, then walked back out to the living room. He stared out the open front door as he watched Zim walk far down the street. "HE LEFT WITHOUT ME!!!" Dib yelled, finally gaining his composure. He doesn't take too long to wake up, but when he does wake up, he's a spaz all over again. He then raced out the door and after Zim, planing to force the Irken to give him coffee.

GIR hopped up off the couch, and he walked over to the front door. He saw that the two were far down the street now, Dib running after the bellowing Zim. GIR closed the door.

GIR then walked over to the trash can. He stomped his foot down on it, and jumped, flipped over the edge of the barrel, and landed on the platform below. It started lowering, and GIR waited until it neared the ground. He then jumped off of the platform, and ran over to the computer. "They are gone." GIR said, his voice stern and clear.

Two shaded forms stood in the darkness of the basement, one of them held the lantern with the butterfly in it. "Good." One of the forms said. This form's voice was low, apparently male. "Thanks GIR. I'm glad you're helping us." He added.

GIR nodded happily. Then, this man tossed a cookie to GIR, who caught it and started to munch on it happily. The other form which held the lantern spoke up. "Isn't it remarkable? This butterfly...such a beautiful thing to come from such a...place." The voice said. This voice was soft but had a light pitch that was obviously feminine.

"And their technology is so sophisticated. The SIR Unit, GIR, such a friendly yet affective robot." The man said. "So strange, for a race that follows the commands of an oversized central brain and two of their own kind that happen to be a bit taller than themselves. It's pathetic, the Irkens are such fools."

The girl holding the lantern readjusted it to be propped against her arm better. "Butterflies...they guide the way. That's what they said, right?" She asked.

"That's right." The man said. "The Akrians told us that butterflies guide the way to the Irken's leader, but it's never been true. They have release these butterflies near The Tallest before, and they don't fly to them. It's...strange. It's like they can't find it. Their leader..." The man said.

"Maybe...the leader is Blue? Perhaps that's why..?" The girl asked.

"Maybe. I heard they never tried releasing the butteflies near her. But I don't think it's her...just because I don't think it's a female." He said.

"It could be. There's nothing wrong with females." The girl said. "But, reguardless, we need to do something about Dib..." She said, sadness in her voice.

"Dib..." He sighed as his shadow shifted. "I don't know what we're going to do about Dib. Either he joins us or we experiment on him. After all...something has been strange about him since the abduction." He said.

"Something has been strange about us since our creation." The girl mentioned.

"True. True indeed..." The man said. "Dib...I hope you make the right choice."

GIR seemed to ignore what they were saying, as he munched on his cookie. The man stepped forth from the shadows, revealing a man that was taller than Dib and Zim, but shorter than an adult. His hair was long, reaching his mid back, and it was a deep shade of navy blue. His eyes were a very light shade of blue, and they had a strange hypnotic glow to them, almost. He wore long black jeans, black boots, a black short sleeved shirt, and he wore a black hoody with a zipper, though it was unzipped at the moment. He made his way over to the computer.

The girl stepped forth into the light as well. Her hair was a light red shade, her eyes were bright pink with the same glow as the other, and she was wearing white sweat pants, white shoes, with a long sleeved white shirt, and she had a white cloak on. The girl was a bit shorter than the man, but not by that much. "Brother...is it a good idea to hack those files?" She asked softly, her grip on the lantern tightening slightly.

"It's fine." He said confidently.

"What will you do?" She asked, raising her head a bit higher than it was.

"I'm just going to look at the files. I need to plan an attack on the Irkens somehow." He went silent for a few seconds. "I really don't understand why Dib is working with these aliens. They want Earth, our home..."

"I don't understand it either, but shouldn't we trust him? I mean we kno-"

"No." The male slickly cut her off.

"But what if-"

"No. We stand alone these days. We are here for only one reason...you know this as well as I do." He said, his voice fading at the end of that sentence.

"Yes, brother." The girl said. She turned her gaze down to the butterfly inside the lantern. "What do we do about her?" She asked.

"Remember? We need butterflies to find their leader, assuming that the old tale is true." The man said. He clicked through files rapidly, as though he could read it at an extremely quick speed.

"Brother, we cannot take this one." The sister reminded.

"Why?" He asked, stopping his typing for a quick second to glance over at her. He had been typing various things inside the search box over the Irken Internet.

"Because, we don't have the supplies to keep her alive. These butterflies need to be treated correctly to survive." The girl said, rubbing the lantern a little with her right hand.

"Then smash it." The man said.

"Why?" The sister asked.

"It's useless to us." The brother said. His eyes swapped to GIR. "Leave." He said simply.

GIR ran over to the ledge as the girl spoke. "But...she's pretty. Why kill beauty?" The sister asked.

"Because beauty is worth nothing." The man said.

The girl placed her head to the glass of the lanter, her eyes closed. "She does not want to die." The girl said to her brother.

"I don't care. Kill her." The man said, his clicks becoming faster as his fingers hit each key hard.

"She isn't doing anything to harm anyone." The sister said. "She only wants her master."

"And the master is the Irken." The man said.

"She's happy here." The girl said as she gripped the lantern a bit tighter.

"Happiness is a mask." The clicks were slowing slightly.

"I like life...warmth...feeling." The girl said. "Humans are warm. Irkens are as well."

The man stopped typing and spun in the chair to look at the girl. "Drop the lantern." He said, his beautiful eyes were as cold as a snake's fangs as they seeped into one's skin.

The girl sighed. "Yes, brother." She responded. She looked at the butterfly as it became frantic, knowing it's impending doom. "I'm sorry." The girl said to the butterfly. She then lifted up the lantern up high in the air...

~Skool, Front Yard~

Zim and Dib were rushing past all of the children, both boys heading for the front doors that lead into the skool. Both of them reached the doors at the same time, and rammed them open. The barreled through the halls, racing to the classroom before class was about to start. They started this race only a small time after Dib caught up to Zim.

Both human and alien soon reached their classroom, and they ran through the door. Dib ran towards his seat as Zim reached his. Zim sat down before Dib had the chance to, and Zim started laughing as he pointed at Dib. "Haha, human! I made it before you!!" He yelled.

Dib sighed, taking note of the fact that he and Zim were the only ones in the classroom, so his human comment wasn't heard. Dib figured that even if it was heard, nobody would notice. Most humans...were really stupid. Both human and alien eyes shot to the clock. There were a few minutes untill the home room bell, so they both sat there in silence, waiting.

~Zim's Home, Basement~

Broken glass was spread across the floor. The latern's frame laid on the floor. The butterfly was now missing. The brother was finishing on the computer. The sister tood there, staring down at the glass.

"You're cold, brother..." The sisiter said.

"You are, too." The brother mentioned.

"Brother Za-"

"Stop." The brother commanded. His sister went silent. A couple more clicks, and everything on the computer was now closed out. He then stood up, and walked over to his sister. "Let's go. We have a lot of work to do. For now, we will lay low. Once all of this mess is cleared up..."

"It'll be time." The sister finished.

The brother then hugged his sister. "It's for the best." He added.

"The best..." The sister's voice wavered as she spoke. "Of course." He voice was slightly more steady with those last words.

The two siblings started to walk to the ledge, when the brother stopped. The sister turned to face him, her head tilted in confusion. He then smiled at her. "Let's leave a present..." He said deviously as a huge smile reached his lips.

~Skool~

The bell rang, the students awaited the arrival of their teacher. Zim had his head laying down on the desk as Dib read a book about the planets. Finally, the door swung open, and in came Miss Bitters. She made her way over to the desk, and she faced the class. Every jaw in the room dropped.

Miss Bitters had black rings and rings with black stones and designs on them on every single finger. Her nails were painted black. She was dressed in a long black dress with a nice black floral design to it. She was wearing a black choker around her neck with a black stone in its center. And finally, her nose was pierced with a small, black stud. Nobody moved, as everyone stared at her. Everyone was shocked and scared as they stared at the teacher.

"Hello class. I'm back from Jamaca, so get ready for a horrible class." She said. She looked down at her desk, and saw a note from the previous substiture teacher. She read it, then glared over at Dib. "By the way, Dib, you're staying with me for detention today." She said.

Dib sighed as he hung his head. He knew this was inevitable, but he wished he could escape it. Zim snickered at the young boy's dismay.

Miss Bitters kept looking around the desk, and picked up another note. She read it, then cleared her throat. "Dib, your father says he wants you to call him when you go home. It's apparently urgent and has something to do with your sister." Miss Bitters said.

"Gaz?!" Dib asked, standing up.

"Yes. It says something terrible happened. I'm not surprised." The Miss Bitters said.

"What happened?!!" Dib asked.

"That's why your dad wants you to call him. Oh, it also says that he has something for you that he left in your room. I was paying more attention to the horrible news that I didn't read that." She responded.

Dib sighed as he slowly slumped into his seat. He vaguely heard the teacher tell them to pull out their text books. He then realised he didn't even have his back pack. His head lowered more as he expected the teacher to come over to him and slam a detention down on his desk...when a shorter shadow hovered over him.

Dib jerked his head up to see Zim standing there. Zim had pulled up a chair as he sat next to the human. He placed his text book down on Dib's desk and opened it to the correct page. "Zim..?" Dib asked quietly, wondering why the cold Irken was helping him out. Zim seemed to ignore him as he stared down at the page. Dib shrugged, a very small smile taking his lips.

~Later That Day~

There were minutes untill the final bell. Dib sighed, not even bothering to get ready to leave at all. Zim on the other hand, who was now at his original desk, was ready to charge out the door. Miss Bitters slithered beside Dib's desk. "You're doomed to stay here for an extra hour, Dib." She hissed in his ear. He shuddered, this teacher really did creep him out from time to time, though he adjusted to it.

The bell finally rung, and everyone bolted, including Zim, excluding Dib. Dib sighed as he sat back and got comfortable. He hated detentiones, but even though Miss Bitters was creepy, he knew this wasn't the kind of detention where he would be working. It was an hour long, so that means she would leave him to sit there and be bored during it.

As the last two children left the room, Miss Bitters slithered into her desk's chair. "So, I heard about your sister, Dib." She said.

Dib nodded. "Yeah. She's in the hospital, comatose." He said, cringing as he spoke the last word.

"This is why I say you're all doomed." She said. Dib sighed. This was going to be a long hour.

~With Zim, 10 Minutes Later~

Zim arrived at his home's door. He opened it and walked inside. The claws of the house shut the door behind the Irken and removed his lenses and wig. The entire house was dark, and this confused Zim, since GIR always has the lights on. "GIR!" Zim called.

Zim blinked twice as GIR did not come on his command. "Come here, GIR!" He called again. The short robot did not come. Zim tilted his head to the side. "GIR?" He asked.

Zim unleashed his Night Vision Goggles to help him see in the house better. The goggles covered the top of his head as the lenses covered his large eyes, enhancing his vision. What he saw in the living room alone made him a bit nervous.

The glass sheets that covered the pictures in this room were broken, and once picture was laying on the floor face down. The couch pillows were tossed across the floor, and some of the blankets from inside the cupboard and on the couch were ripped to shreads as they laid across the floor, and others were just tossed aside. the curtains in this room were shreaded. A floor lamp that had been in the room was tossed carelessly to the floor, and the bulb was broken open. Above, Zim saw that the lights had been shot at with what seemed to be a human gun, and there was glass covering the floor from when they smashed open with each shot.

Zim started to head towards the kitchen, and he saw that as he passed the television...it looked as though somebody had actually kicked their foot though its screen, then flipped it onto its side. Zim shook his head as he saw that the food inside the fridge and cabinents had been either consumed or stolen, and the doors to them all had been left open. The table and chairs in the room had been flipped upside down, and he saw that one chair had been tossed through the window. Zim then headed towards the hallway.

~Skool~

Dib had his head propped up on his hand as he listened to the teacher ramble. It had only been 11 minutes, and he was ready to scream from boredom. "So, I got my nose pierced while I was in Jamaca." She said.

"...You did that because you wanted to, right?" Dib asked.

"Yeah, but the pain was horrible." She said. Dib smacked his head down on the desk.

~With Zim~

Zim had already checked the rooms down the hall to see all of them in bad shape, including his own. He quickly looked in the last room, and saw that papers were spread around the room. The computer tower was tossed aside carelessly on the floor. It had been pried open, and many of the wires inside had been ripped out. He saw that his lantern was missing, and he growled, figuring that his butterfly had been stolen. 'Damn...what the hell has happened here?!' His mind screamed as he bolted down the hall, running towards the trash can.

Zim reached the trash can, and he slammed his foot down on it so fast, that the top of it rammed into the wall, and shuddered. He jumped straight up and fell right inside. He had hoped that GIR was alright. 'If the ones who did this took GIR, they won't see the light of tomorrow!!' His mind yelled.

Zim waited for the ledge to near the bottom, then he hopped of. Before him, what he saw horrified him. His eyes grew huge as his jaw dropped. He took two steps back in shock.

Before him laid his side kick, his SIR Unit, GIR. Gir was laying across the round, eyes black. His right arm had been torn off and tossed across the ground. His body's main part had been busted open, and some of the wiring inside had been torn apart, some of it had been cut with some sort of weapon, and some had been ripped out, with very little untouched wiring. GIR's main wiring that made him function was ripped out, and now missing. GIR's dog suit had been ripped to shreads and was now laying on the floor in pieces.

Zim looked up at the wall next to the computers in the room, and mounted on that wall, was a pretty picture frame with clean glass over it. Behind the glass, were two butterfly wings that did not glow. These wings belonged to the butterfly that Zim had before. On the floor, Zim saw the broken up glass and the lantern frame laying there. He was shocked, not expecting anything like this. He shook his head as the feeling came back to them.

"GIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIRRRRR!!!!!!!" He screamed, finally reacting. He ran to the SIR Unit, and knelt beside him. He lifted GIR's head up and proped GIR up against himself. Zim didn't even care about pride, the sabotaged computers in the room, or anything else. All of his life he had been lonely, then The Tallest gave him GIR. Even though GIR got o his nerves, and even though he treated GIR badly sometimes, he had grown attached to the robot. Now, he couldn't hear GIR laugh, could have GIR help...now GIR was not doing anything. Zim had no idea what to do now as he held GIR. His mind was too unstable to think straight. He just knelt there, staring at the black eyes of...the closest thing he had to a friend. To who had secretly become his friend, though he would never admit it.

~Skool~

Dib and Miss Bitters stared at each other in silence. They were so bored that they were ready to play rock-paper-scissors to entertain themselves. Miss Bitters sighed. "You're boring. Go home." She said, sounding grumpy.

"Are you serious?" Dib asked.

"Yeah, this really is boring. Just go to your horrible life. I'm curious about what horrible news your father has for you about your sister, anyways." Miss Bitters said.

Dib shot up out of his seat. "Thank you, Miss Bitters." Dib said. He then ran out of the room, heading home.

~With Zim~

Zim still held GIR as he looked up at the computer. He saw that all of the computers weren't working currently. He then thought of his PAK. Zim called back the goggles and called forth the communication box. He connected a communication line with the Irken's World Control Center, and to the Defense Sector. The luminated box opened to show Purple standing there with his arms crossed, staring straight at the screen.

"Zim! What happened to your SIR Unit?!" He asked, seeing GIR's condition.

"I don't know, my house was sabotaged when I got here. What do I do about GIR, My Tallest?!" Zim asked frantically.

"Don't you have your computers up and running, Zim? We could fix him up through that." Purple responded.

"No, the power in my home is completely shut down." Zim explained. He looked up at the power box that powered his whole room, and saw that it had...been beaten on untill it was unable to function at all. Zim sighed. "My Tallest, I can't leave GIR like this. Especially not now, while we're on the brink of a war."

"Alright, for now Zim, leave your house. It's not a good idea to stay there, especially since the ones who sabotaged it could return. Go somewhere else, and we'll work on a solution. Contact us immediatly when you arrive at a safer location Zim, and if you have access to a computer, tell us, and we might have an easier time fixing GIR." Purple said.

"Thanks, My Tallest. I will do so immediatly." Zim said as he looked down at GIR.

"Don't bworry Zim, we'll bring GIR back. I promise." Purple said.

Zim nodded, and closed off the communication. He then lifted GIR up off the ground as he stood up himself. He unleashed his Night Vision Goggles again, and headed for the ledge. 'For now, the only choice I have, is to go to Dib's home...' Zim thought as he looked down at GIR. 'Don't worry, GIR. I'll get you fixed up and we'll be a team again. I promise.'

~Dib's Home~

Dib opened the door to his bedroom and walked inside. He shut the door behind himself, and walked over to the desk that held his computer, notebooks, and other items he used commonly. Dib sat down in the chair in front of the desk, and he saw a couple of things on the desk from his dad. There were a few silver devices, a small box, and a note.

He first picked up one of the small silver devices that was sitting there. There was a speaker, a receiver, and a button on this silver device, and the button was one that stayed in place when clicked once, then popped out when pressed again. Dib was curious, so he pressed the button, and heard a beep. The line was dead for a second, but then he heard a small chime sound, then his father's voice reached his ear.

"Son? Is that you?" Dib heard his father say.

"Dad!" Dib yelled. He held the communication device up to his ear. "Where are you? Are you alright?!" Dib asked.

"I'm fine, Son." Professor Membrane said. "I'm at my lab, I'm sorry I can't be home. I'm on a 72 hour job, so I won't be home for a couple more days, Son." He explained.

"It's alright, Dad. How is Gaz?" Dib asked.

"Your sister is alright. It was strange, though. I got a call a early this morning that her heart pulse was so fast that she could have died of a heart attack. Nobody could get inside the room...it was like a strong force was holding the door shut. One person passing by her room at the time said he heard a couple of voices in the room. It was very strange. Son, please go check on your sister for me." Professor Membrane asked.

"Alright Dad, I will." Dib stated.

"Also, the devices on your desk are connected to the same line as ours are. Including the one you are talking on, there should be five communicators there. Anyways, I have to get to work on the new invention. Tommorrow night, watch my show, Son, and the next day I'll come home with a gift for you." Membrane said. "Bye Son." He said.

"Bye Dad!" Dib said. Dib then shut his communicator off. 'This is fishy...' He thought as he thought about his sister. 'I wonder if the Akrians..?' Dib shook his head.

He then looked at the devices, placed his own device with them, and counted them aloud. "One..two...three.....four....no five? Why?" He asked the lonesome darkness of his room. "Dad is almost always dead on when it comes to calculations..." He muttered, confused at why one would be missing.

Dib then grabbed the small box with his right hand, and he picked up the little note with his left fingers. He read the note in his head.

"Son, in this box, I have provided you with a spycam. I know you were asking for one a few days ago, so it's there. I love you, Son. Visit your sister often. - Professor Membrane."

Dib smiled, happy his dad did this for him. He decided he would save it for a different time, so he opened the box to make sure it was there, which it was, then he close the lid. He opened a large, deep drawer, then placed the box inside. He then started to place the communication devices in the drawer, but as he placed the third one inside, he heard a loud banging on his front door. He immediatly jumped up out of his seat, then he ran out of his room, leaving the drawer and his room's door open.

Dib charged down the stairs, and arrived at the front door. He gripped his combat knife that he was armed with in his coat's left sleeve, and he slowly opened the door. His eyes widened as his hand released the knife. Zim stood before him, holding his torn apart companion, GIR, in his arms. Dib immediatly side stepped to allow Zim to walk in, which he quickly did.

Dib shut the door and locked it quickly, then turned around to face Zim. "What the hell happened?!" Dib asked, surprised at this strange situation.

Zim looked down at GIR. "Dib, everything's mess. My home was sabotaged, and GIR was...left like this." Zim explained, his eyes staring at the floor of Dib's home. "Dib...do you happen to have a computer?" Zim asked, his head rising so Zim could look at Dib.

"Yeah, I do." Dib said, not going to turn Zim down. They had to learn how to work together, it wasn't the time for childish games like earlier that day. Dib then started to run up the stairs, to guide Zim to his room. "Are the computers at your home broken?" Dib asked, his final words slipping out as his feet touched the top step.

Zim followed the human up the stairs. "No, they were busted and the power box was beaten until it stopped working." Zim explained.

"Ooh, that's bad." Dib said.

The alien and the human walked into Dib's room quickly. Dib knocked the other two devices into the open drawer quickly, then he shut that. "Put GIR up here." Dib commanded as his hand pat the desk top once.

"Alright." Zim complied, placing his SIR Unit up on the desk. Zim then unleashed the communication box from his PAK, the communication line connecting with The Almighty Tallest's line again. Purple was sitting there on response, Red still absent, though Zim hadn't even noticed this since his mind was currently mush. "My Tallest, I'm contacting you from Dib's house. I have a computer right here."

"Excellent, Zim." Purple said. "Alright, do you have access to any wires? If you do, I could teach you how to fix GIR up, then if you have wires to attach him to the computer with, I could restore him completely back to normal. If you can only hook him up to the computer, then I could get him functioning on a very basic level." Purple explained.

"Uhh..." Zim scratched his head nervously, unsure of anything Dib may have around the house.

"Wait a minute!" Dib said as he slipped behind Zim quickly to look at the communication screen. "My dad has a lot of stuff around the house because he's a scientist. I know he has plenty of wire arounds, and he even has a restoration box that can hook up to a robot or a machine, which makes the restoration process a lot faster." Dib explained.

"That's perfect!" Purple exclaimed. "Alright Earthling, go collect this stuff, and we'll get to work." Purple commanded.

"Okay!" Dib responded, he then ran downstairs to collect the correct items.

"Zim, that Earthing is at least helpful to us." Purple said to Zim when Dib was downstairs.

"I guess." Zim said as his eyes rolled away from Purple.

~12 Minutes Later~

Dib came back with the final thing, the restoration box. He was holding a strap that connected to the box directly with one hand, and his other hand held the wires that connected to the computer as well as the wires that would be connected to GIR. He placed the box on the desk next to GIR's body, then he took a seat in the chair that stood in front of the computer.

"Alright, Zim, follow all of my instructions carefully." Purple said, getting a nod from the short Irken.

Dib typed in the password to access the computer, then he gasped as he shot up out of his seat. "That's right! Gaz!!" He yelled, making Zim look up at him.

"What's the matter?" Zim asked Dib.

Dib rushed past the standing Zim and he reached the drawer. He opened it and grabbed the device he used earlier. He then shut the drawer quickly. "Zim, you can stay as long as you want, I don't care." Dib said. He then raised his head, his stern, burnt orange eyes glimmering in the dim lighting of his own room. "I have to go to the hospital. I'll be back later. If you have any problems, contact me." Dib said, then he bolted out of the room, and started to run down the stairs.

"Wait! How do I contact you?!" Zim yelled at the young boy. He then heard the front door slam shut, and with a sigh, he gripped the chair and slid it over so it stood behind himself, he started falling backwards, and his ass landed on the seat. "Go on." He said to Purple, ready to work on the robot to bring him back to life.

~About 50 Minutes Later, The Hospital~

The sky was starting to darken as night neared. Dib didn't care as his weary legs brought him into the hospital. It wasn't a short run, and he wished he had a vehical to bring him there. Dib made his way to an elevator so he could reach his sister's room. He pressed the button on the wall and waited for the elevator to reach his floor so he could get on. He looked down at what he held in his hand, which was the red gaming platform his sister always played on, with the Game Slave 2 card already in its rightful slot. He knew his sister was comatose, but he also knew that if she woke up from this coma, this would be the first thing she would want. This or pizza, anyways, and he chuckled a little at the thought of his sister begging for both as she laid in her hospital bed.

The elevator arrived, and the silver doors leading inside slid open. Dib slipped the game system into his coat pocket quickly. He saw that an old woman and a young kid were standing inside as he quickly ran in. He reached for the button to the fourth floor where his sister's room was, but his hand wouldn't reach it. The older woman smiled down at him as she stepped forth.

"What room number are you?" She asked nicely.

"Uhh...fourth, please." Dib said, sounding a tad nervous. There was one thing about the woman that was creeping him out, it was her eyes. Her eyes were big and brown, but the feeling he got from them made his skin crawl. Dib looked over at the doors as they shut.

The elevator slowly started to raise as he looked up at the woman again. She was smiling down at him, and an image of Arc's smiling face infilterate his mind for a flash second, causing the boy to flinch.

Dib's eyes shifted to the young boy, who looked to be about 9. He was staring down at the floor sadly. 'Perhaps he is going to visit somebody he cared about, who's in bad shape.' Dib thought, but of course he wasn't sure and wasn't getting involved.

His eyes then shifted back to the woman, who stepped closer to him, making her looked a bit larger than she was. Her eyes started to have a really weird look to them. Dib took two steps away from her. "What is it?" He asked her.

"Dib, I'm surprised you've lived this long, and to not notice when you're in the presence of a puppet..." A voice from came from above. This voice sounded like it was right above them, and yet it sounded like it was blocked off by something.

The young boy looked up at Dib fearfully, then the two boys looked up at the woman. This woman suddenly started laughing, and she then collapsed on the floor. Dib tilted his head to the side as he knelt down. He lifted the woman's head, his wrist which wasn't covered by the fabric of his black gloves touching her cheek...and he realised this woman wasn't human, but she was a doll. It was a doll that seemed extremely human just a second ago, but was now obviously a soft doll full of stuffing.

'...A doll? They...used some kind of a cloak to make her appear human!' His head shot up, then started to turn this way and that, as his eyes scanned the room. 'So...where is the Akrian behind this? I bet it's Ace!' His mind shouted.

Suddenly, the elevator stopped. Their elevator hovered in mid air, in an elevator shaft, in a hospital, and Dib didbn't know why. The younger boy stared up at Dib with fearful eyes. Dib looked around quickly once more.

Suddenly, laughter from one Akrian, as Dib assumed, was heard from above once more. Dib looked up, the boy following suit. "Dib...you foolish child. I bet you wished you had helped your sister now, because had you done so, you'd be safe at home with her and Zim as the three of you worked together to save GIR." It said. This voice was unfamiliar to Dib, as he realised. "You're mixed up inside, unsure of what to do since a foe of yours is unseen, using puppets to creep out your small mind. Oh, I know what will rattle your mind more." The voice taunted.

Suddenly, long, spider-like legs bursted through the walls of the elevator, one from the right, one from the left. These spiderlike legs had long, sharp nails on the ends, they were a dark shade of brown, but...they weren't completely like spider legs. These "spider legs" were more like roots, and yet like vines. There were other brown, long, skinny "spider legs" branching off the main one like roots, with nails at the ends of each one. Yet they were sleek and flexible in design, like vines were.

These strange spider leg vines grabbed the young boy, and lifted him off the ground as he started to scream. The legs forcefully slammed him up against the back wall Dib was facing, who watched this all happen in horror. The Akrian cackled at Dib. "So, does this scare you? Does it make you think things over a bit more?" He asked slickly.

"What are you doing this for?! LET HIM GO!!!" Dib screamed loudly at the foe.

The Akrian laughed a little. "So sorry Dib, but since I'm enjoying this, I won't stop. Besides, I'm, not doing this to the boy, anyways." The Akrian said simply.

"What do you mean?" Dib asked, voicelessly demanding an answer.

"I mean that I'm not holding up the child. My pet is what is holding him, Dib." The Akrian said darkly.

"PET?!!" Dib screamed in confusion. "You call something like that a PET??!!!"

"His face is cute." The Akrian said to Dib. He then focused his voice on his "pet". "Isn't that right, 47758936214? That's right, that's right~" The Akrian said lovingly.

Dib's jaw dropped. "....That's it's NAME?!!" He asked.

"Yeah, pretty short name, right?" This Akrian asked Dib.

"If thats a "short" name, I'd hate to see this 477..5..somthing's face!" Dib said, not even trying to memorize the name.

The "pet" suddenly tightened it's grip on the young boy, causing him to groan in pain and struggle in resistance. "Easy 47758936214, it's alright." The Akrian said to it's pet, which made it's grip loosen ever so slightly.

Dib took a step forward. "Release him, you weird "pet"! Release the kid at once!" Dib yelled.

"Or what?" The Akrian asked him.

Dib then ran forward, and jumped up as he pulled put the combat knife. Another spider leg bursted into the elevator, and slashed his arm, Dib spun in the air, aiming for the doors of the elevator, but he quickly slashed the spider leg before his distance from the leg was too far, then Dib's back slammed into the door. This angered the creature, and it screeched loudly, hurting both Dib and the young boy's ears. Dib looked up at the spider leg as he slipped his knife in its sheath quickly, and it shot to the button pad in the elevator.

"What are you doing?!" The Akrian asked the creature as the door behind Dib slid open. He then fell backwards, but his hands grabbed a hold of the edge of the floor before he fell down to the eternal abyss below. He climbed back up inside and stood on the floor.

Dib then gained enough courage to do something crazy out of rage. Dib charged towards the spider leg that still hovered near the button panel, and he whipped out his combat knife, stabbing it nto the leg quickly. This...monster screeched loudly as it thrusted this leg forward, scratching Dib's leg. Dib shouted in pain as he wrapped his arms around the leg. It pulled out through the large whole it made in the wall, and pulled Dib up on top of the elevator, where its main body hovered, and where the Akrian stood.

The Akrian was on his knees as he stared at Dib. Dib was now held over the top of the elevator, where he quickly released the leg and carefully found himself standing on top of the elevator with the Akrian. Its eyes gleamed as he stood tall. Her was taller than Dib, but he looked like he might be a bit shorter than Arc. This Akrian walked up to Dib, then knelt down in front of the human.

"So, do you like my pet?" He asked, his black eyes staring intensly at Dib.

Dib looked back at the large creature, and weird he found it. It looked like a spider made out of a tree. It's body was completely brown with the root/vine like quality, and yet it was shaped like a spider with all eight legs. The entire spider looked like it was flexible, this included the main body, which Dib really found weird.

Dib then turned back to the Akrian. "...Yeah." He said quietly.

The Akrian smiled a genuine smile at him. "That's great." He said. "Just great, Dib. Since I figured it would be nice, I think I'll let you know my name. I am Kiya, an Akrian you should fear." He said.

"I'm not afraid of you, and I'm not going to fear you." Dib said strongly.

"We shall see in the future, my dear friend." The stress on the word friend made Dib shudder slightly.

What happened next confused Dib beyond belief. The Akrian that knelt infront of him gripped Dib's forehead, causing his forehead to feel extremely hot as his eyes shut tightly. Kiya the pushed Dib back as his hand released his head. Dib started to fall backwards, his body actually falling though the ceiling of the elevator.

Dib felt his back hit something hard and his eyes opened. He was being stared at by the old woman and the child who hovered over him. The holes in the walls of the elevator were gone, the woman was human again, and the elevator doors were open on the fourth floor.

"Are you okay, child?" The old woman asked Dib.

"Yeah...fine." Dib said, sitting up. He rubbed his still hot forehead as he looked over at the boy. "Are you okay?" He asked.

"Nothing..was ever wrong with me." The boy said.

Dib cocked an eyebrow at the child. "But you were..." Dib's words faded off as he didn't bother to finish that sentence. He figured this child would only think he was crazy, the same with the woman, so he just zipped his mouth shut on this one as he got to his feet.

Dib started to walk away, heading for the room his sister was currently in. He remembered that his father and he learned from the hospital the last time they came that she was in room 490. Dib continued to walk, as he noticed his leg and his arm were bleeding a little from the attack, proving, at least to him, that it actually happened.

Dib reached the room his sister was staying at, and as he reached this right hand towards the door knob, he felt a circle-shaped pressure on his back, causing him to flinch, then freeze.

"Don't move, traitor." A voice commanded him from behind. Dib's eyes widened as the memory of this voice reached him.

* * *

Alright, things are getting faster and more exciting as more happens! I thank you all for the reviews, they're really encouraging, and they really help me keep this story's pace. There's still plenty more to come, so keep reading! Thanks agains everyone for the support! ^.^


	6. Pieces Of The Past

The Irken And The Earthling's War And Love  
Chapter 6  
~Pieces Of The Past Put Together~  
_[ZaDr]_

Zim was attaching the end of a red wire into the plug, Purple carefully observing the green Irken as he tediously followed each and every command. It clicked into place, and Zim rubbed his forehead with his clawed hand as he released a sigh of relief. It was the final plug to GIR that he needed to attach, the final wire that had been ripped out of the SIR Unit.

"Great, you're finally done with the hard part, Zim." Purple said happily as he tossed the paper he had been reading to Zim for the last hour off to the side. A random, very short Irken ran over to it, picked it up, and took off with it to toss it out. "Now, I can begin restoring GIR with all of his previous information. I'll also download the information we have gathered on the Akrians into him as well, which should help you, Zim." Purple explained. "Now, just attach the restoration box's wires to GIR, and I can begin the process."

Zim grabbed the wire that connected to the computer tower, knelt down, and plugged it into the tower. He then stood, gripped the two wires that he would connect to GIR using a claw-like grip much like one used to jump a car. Zim attached one to GIR's hand. He held the other in his hand as he turned his head to the screen. "My Tallest, GIR is missing an arm, what do I do?" He asked.

"Attach it to GIR elsewhere for now. We can fix his arm a bit later, when you can return home to retrieve it." Purple assured Zim.

Zim nodded at Purple. "Alright my Tallest, thank you." Zim said. He then attached this one to GIR's foot on the side of GIR that was currently missing an arm, and as Zim attached it, he felt a zap of electricity flow through his hand, causing him to yelp as he pulled his hand away quickly. "Oww! That hurt like a-GAH!" He yelled, cutting himself off in his short, angry fit.

"Are you okay, Zim?" Purple asked Zim, knowing the pain of getting shocked by electricity too well.

Zim took a deep breath as he gripped his pained left claw with his right. "Y-yeah...just fine. It doesn't hurt, it tickled..." Zim grounded out from his clenched teeth, on one hand trying to be strong for his leader, and on the other hand throwing in a bit of sarcasim in place of yelling over the pain.

Purple made a weird face like he tried a weird food found on Earth that he disapproved of. He then looked down at the keyboard in front of him as he clicked a few keys, then looked up at Zim. "Alright, click the blue button on the box." He commanded the Irken.

Zim turned around to face the box. He clicked the round, ice blue button on it, and saw on the computer screen that a blue window with an empty bar popped up. Above the bar, it read "Restoration Completion". To the right side of the bar, it read "0%". Zim then sat back down in the seat he had been sitting in and standing from constantly as he worked.

Zim and Purple stared at each other for a few minutes, then Purple sighed. "Look Zim, I have some work I need to do, so I'll contact you when GIR is restored, okay? Just chill out where you are for now, and I'll return." Purple said. He then turned off his PAK communication, and Zim shut his off immediatly afterwards.

Zim spun in the chair to look at GIR. He stretched his mouth a bit in slight worry, seeing that the bar on the screen was still at 0%. He then spun around in the chair again, and looked around Dib's room. He wondered what the human did around this house, his Irken mind already bored with not doing anything for only seconds. He figured he'd take a look around Dib's room, he never did say Zim couldn't. Zim grinned, figuring he could dig up some good trash on the human for later, when the Akrians were out of the picture and the alien and human could go back to their silly battles again.

~The Hospital~

Sweat slipped down Dib's face as the pressure on his back increased a little. He knew this voice that had spoken to him. "Za..ckery?" Dib asked, his voice very quiet.

"You left us, Dib. Rosey and myself, YOU LEFT US!!!" The low voice yelled at him.

"That...was a mistake.." Dib said quietly.

"That wasn't a mistake! You said you were our friend, and yet you-" The voice was cut off by another.

"Brother, please stop!" The light, sweet voice called to the male's.

Dib whirrled around to see the two people from his past he didn't expect. "...Ro..sey..? Za-Zackery?!" He called to the two.

What Zackery held in his hand, what the pressure was against Dib's back, was Dib's own handgun that he had given to Zim before. In Zack's other hand were the bullets that Dib gave Zim as well. Dib's eyes widened as realization washed over him. "Zack...you-"

"Don't start with me, Dib!" Zackery yelled. "Don't try to tell me any trash to slip away! You're in league with the Irkens, aren't you?! And you really don't care what they do to this planet, what they do to the people, what they've done to YOU!!!" Zackery yelled.

"Me?!" Dib asked, wanting to continue, but not getting the chance as Zack continued talking.

"You remember what we found out, right?! Aliens killed our...our..." Zackery choked back a sob. "And now you expect us to just accept this?! We made a promise, Dib! All aliens must stay away from Earth! And yet you've broken this promise with us!! The clues point the them having killed her! And yet you still work with them!!" Zackery screamed.

People in the hospital halls and rooms stared at the three in the hall, but they were all too scared to do anything. "Zackery! I know what you think and all, bu-" Db was once more, cut off.

"NO!! I won't take that! I'll make them leave, you'll see! I'LL do it, because YOU are too busy making friends with them to bother being on the good side, anymore!" Zackery yelled. He then tossed the bullets and handgun on the ground at Dib's feet, then bolted down the hall.

Rosey, the girl, sighed as she walked over to Dib. "Brother...he jumps to conclusions too fast. We both know this." She said to Dib.

"I didn't-" Once more, the young boy was cut off.

"It's alright. I know." Rosey said. She walked up to Dib, placing her feet around the handgun and the bullets that were on the floor. She slowly placed her forehead to Dib's both had their eyes closed. "I can feel that you have a very long and hard path ahead of you, and brother's going to cause you conflict, so will I." She said, then pulled back her head to stand up straight and tall as Dib opened his eyes to look up at her.

"You've always had to follow all of his commands, no matter what they were...why? You've never told me." Dib said.

"It's...it's got something to do with father." She explained. "Anyways, I assume the next time we meet, we will be at each other's throats. I'm sorry, Dib. Farewell." The girl said.

Rosey then started to walk away as Dib dropped to one knee and one foot. He picked up his handgun and the bullets on the floor. He shoved the bullets in his pockets, then shoved the gun in the right holster. He then stood up, saw that Rosey was now gone, then he turned his head towards his sister's hospital room. He quickly opened the door and staggered over himself as he went inside.

Dib saw Gaz lying down on the bed in a comfortable position, though her face looked uneasy. Dib closed the door behind himself, and leaned back against it. His head dropped as a small laugh emerged from him. This small laugh slowly built until he was laughing so hard his sides were hurting. He slid down the door as he continued to laugh, until he landed himself on the floor.

~With Zim~

Zim was staring out the window as he sat in the seat. He spun to look at the computer monitor, which read "1%". His eyes dropped from bored to annoyed. "Alright, that's it. I'm SO looking through Dib's stuff. This is boring me." He said as he hopped up out of the seat.

He didn't think he'd find much that was absolutely astounding, but he was too bored to just sit there, anymore. Zim thought of how Dib had shoved some stuff into the drawer at the desk. His eyes were drawn to that drawer. He wanted to know what those things were.

Zim took a couple of steps closer to this drawer and his hand shot out to grip the handle. He slowly pulled it open, unsure of what "filth" the human may have. Inside, Zim found that there were three devices sitting inside, so he grabbed one and held it up. His red eyes studied the foreign object as he wondered what it was fore. Out of curiosity, he clicked the button.

~Gaz's Hospital Room~

Dib final stopped his laughing fit as he stared blankly at the wall on the other side of the room. "Gaz...you would not BELIEVE what's been happening lately." Dib said under his breath. "Zack and Rose want to kill me for working with Zim, I almost died in an elevator shaft...possibly, I was tortured...probably close to death, and now Zim is in my house, and I'm not there, so he might sabotage my room when GIR is working." Dib laughed a little. "Yeah, this is a wole lot of fun, Gaz! You should be awake and enjoying this with me...though you probably wouldn't care at all about any of this, actually." With a sigh, Dib shifted slightly against the wood of the door to get a bit more comfortable.

Suddenly, he heard a blip, then a repeatative beeping. Dib then realised it was the communication device, so he quickly reached into one of his coat pockets an pulled it out. He clicked the button and held it to his ear. "Dad?" He asked, not really expecting his dad to contact him so soon.

"Wha-NO!! I'm no human's DAD!!! I AM ZIIIIIM!!!" Dib heard Zim scream from his side of the line.

"Damn, Zim! Calm down, I forgot that you could contact me." Dib explained to the Irken. "I just figued my father would have contacted me, so just relax."

"Anyways, I just wanted to know what this strange human...thing, was for." Zim said.

"It's a communication device. If you want, you can take one. They all link to the same line." Dib said.

"Why exactly would I want one of these strange communication devices? Hm, to speak to your father on?" Zim asked.

"No, to speak to me." Dib said.

"Eh? Why would I do that?" Zim asked.

"In case if we're spilt up and need to contact each other." Dib explained.

"Why don't you humans use PAKs like we do?" Zim asked.

"Because, humans aren't LIKE you!" Dib stressed to the other.

"PAKs are far easier." Zim grouched.

Suddenly, Dib heard a loud screeching sound from Zim's line, then he heard that sound suddenly stop. "Oww! What the hell was that?!" Dib yelled at the green skinned alien.

"How should I know, Dib?!" Zim yelled back. "It's YOUR room!"

Dib's expression dropped to an annoyed on. "Zim....what did you do?" He asked, slight anger fused with his aggitated voice.

"I don't know! This weird..human radio is going berserk!" Zim complained.

Dib growled. "ZIM! Don't touch my stuff!" He yelled at the Invader.

"Oh, NOW you say this and expect me to listen to you?" Zim asked. "Think again, human!"

The line then cut off, and Dib's grip on the device tightened. His hands shook as he emited a small growl, so small that it came out in barely a whisper. He then shoved the device in hi pocket roughly. "WHO DOES HE THINK HE IS??!!!" Dib screamed.

There was a quick knock on the door, and Dib looked up as a human voice from the other side spoke. "Please keep it down, there are a lot of sick people here!" The voice piped quietly, then the person standing at the door walked away.

Dib sighed as he shook he dropped his head and eyes to the floor. "Well, this is great. Now my room will probably be a mess when I get home. What more could I ask for, Gaz?" He asked his comatose sister.

Suddenly, Dib grabbed his head as his screaming was the only sound to be heard in the room aside from Gaz's heart monitor. Dib's eyes shut tightly, and as his eyes shut, he saw various shades of red.

"Dib! You need to get home now! There's something...ugh, I can't talk long, but there's something important that you've overlooked! Talk to Zim, he'll help you! Endure the pain now Dib, it'll get better later! Just stay strong, and keep everything locked in your heart!" The voice of his sister said, infused with another voice that Dib definately did not recognize one bit, though it was feminine.

The pain that had overtaken the boy released as he gasped for air. He screamed so much that his throat hurt, though the pain in his throat was no where near as bad as when he was tortured. Dib then stood up, and walked over to his sister's bedside as he pulled the game system out. He placed the gaming system on the night stand beside her bed, then he sat down on the bed beside her.

Gaz laid there, the only sounds she made were from light breathing. Dib was happy that she was at least alive. He drew his fingers through her hair as his serious expression never faultered. "I don't know what I'm overlooking, sister, but I will figure this all out. I'll take your advice and go to Zim." With that, Dib stood up and headed for the door...and he was planning on taking the stairs this time, instead of the elevator.

~With Zim~

Zim was currently laying down on Dib's bed as he watched the tv. His shores were off as he placed them aside. His eyes wandered from the screen to the VHS, and he noticed that there was a tape inside. He grabbed the remote which was laying beside him, and he clicked the rewind button. He grew a bit impatient, so he clicked the play button.

The screen swapped over from a commercial about the Krazy Taco, to a recording of the news. Zim gave the screen a questioning look as he wondered why Dib would record this.

Then, the news reporter started to talk about a different subject. "Now, we found an interesting report has come in. The person claiming that an "alien" attacked a dog yesterday has suddenly disappeared. We are looking into his disappearance, though we have no clues as to his location." She said. "That's all we have to report today."

Zim blinked as he wondered about this. 'An alien? Is this where Dib first found out about the Akrians? Perhaps from the news?' He wondered. Zim then thought back.

-

_"Zim! I know what you did! Showing yourself in public, you're really getting over confident in yourself, aren't you?"_

-

'So, this is why he came to me, saying that.' Zim realised.

Then, Zim watched the recorded program diminish, as what had originally been on the tape surfaced, or at least what was left on the tape, anyways. Zim watched what was on the screen intensely, not even sure why he was doing so.

A smaller, younger Dib walked into an unfamiliar human room. The screen was a slight bit fuzzy, it was aged, the screen had a darkened tone, and there were white and black spots that kept appearing here and there on the screen. Dib's father, a strange woman, and his sister stood there in the room. Dib walked over to his father. _"What is it, Dad? I was making a concoction!"_ Dib said.

_"Son, I wanted you to know that you'r mother and I were going on a trip. We'll be back later."_ Professor Membrane said.

_"A tri-"_ Dib was cut off as the film switched to another point in time.

Dib now stood beside Gaz and they stood in front of a gravestone. Zim could not read the words, but he watched none the less.

_"Gaz...what do we do now?"_ Dib asked his younger sister as the two of them stared down at the grave before them.

_"....I....don't know...Dib..."_ Gaz said quietly.

_"Gaz...Gaz..."_ Dib let tears slide down his face. _"I'll bring her back! her back!"_ Dib said, the tape skipping once as he spoke.

_"Wha-"_ Gaz was cut off as the screen swapped again.

Now, the screen was focused on Dib. He held the camera up so it focused on his face. _"I'll bring mom back. I've studied this, so I know how to do this."_ He said. He then reached over with the camera in his hand. He set it down so it focused on himself and on the grave of his mother. He had many various objects there that were necassary for him to revive his deceased mother. _"I bet Dad will be happy when she comes ba-"_

The screen swapped again. Now the camera was laying on the floor. It was focused partially on a box that sat in front of it, and it could slightly see the wall on the other side of the room beyond the box. The sound of Gaz screaming at the top of her lungs was what Zim was focusing on.

_"DIB!! I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU DID THIS TO HER!!!"_ She screamed, then she cried out in what seemed to Zim, pain.

_"GAZ!!!"_ Dib screamed. _"Gaz, I'll save you!!"_ Then a loud bang sound was heard.

The screen swapped to a new scene. Dib stood in front of his father as he hung his head. _"Son, NEVER raise the dead again, understand?! They don't come back the same! They NEVER do!!"_ He scolded. _"It doesn't matter who they are or what they were like when they were alive, the dead must remain dead! If you EVER try to reserect someone agian, you'll be grounded for the rest of your entire life!!!"_ Professor Membrane yelled.

_"Yes, Dad."_ Dib said sadly, his eyes glued to the floor.

Professor Membrane then knelt down and pulled Dib into a hug, who hugged him back afterwards. _"Please, just don't do this ever again, Dib. I miss her as much as you do. Dib..."_

_"I'M SORRY!!!"_ Dib screamed, then started crying heavily, his father letting a single tear slide down his face.

The screen swapped again, and now Dib was standing infront of Gaz, his back facing the camera. _"Gaz! I'm serious! I just saw it! An amazing-_

_The Mass-_

_She wa-was so tall!!_

_Ir-_

_Ackery says we should not trust them, that they kil-_

_Sey says she will give me-_

_For protecti-_

_Name was Bl-_

_The Akrians-_

_Zack said it! Zack said they abducted me for rea-"_

The tape was acting really weird now as it skipped and jumped everywhere. The tape itself was not the problem, but it's age was. Zim stared as he tried to make sense of what he could from all of the jumbled words Dib just spoke.

_"So, how do you feel, Dib? Are you in pain?"_ Gaz asked Dib.

_"I feel different."_ Dib said. _"And it does hurt. They did...so much."_ Dib said.

The tape skipped to another part of this conversation again. _"Zack and Rose said they want to protect me."_ Dib was saying. _"They said that Irkens are really bad and that they want to use me then toss me away. They want Earth."_ He explained to his younger sister.

_"I wouldn't trust Zackery and Rosey."_ Gaz said.

_"What are you saying, Gaz?!"_ Dib yelled. _"Why wouldn't we trust them?! They've been our friends since we were five!"_

_"Their judgement was horrible and they lie so much I can barely tell when they are telling the truth, Dib!"_ Gaz snapped back. _"We cannot trust them!"_

_"But Dad-"_ Dib was cut off.

_"Screw that! I don't care if he did! I don't think that the Irkens are as bad as they say!"_

_"You're only disagreeing because they think that!"_ Dib yelled. _"The Irkens killed OUR MOTHER!!!"_

_"NO THEY DIDN'T!!!!!"_ Gaz screamed so loudly, that Dib visibly jumped. _"They didn't kill our mother! The Akrians did!"_ She yelled.

_"How would you know?! I've vaguely heard anything about the Akrians, oh, and did I mention I was being poked and prodded by a weird IRKEN while I was told about Akrians?! I'm pretty sure I did, Gaz! That Irken ABDUCTED me! She did so many weird things, and now I'm-"_

_"DIB!"_ Gaz snapped. _"I just have a feeling that the Akrians killed her. That the Irkens would be better on our side!"_ She yelled.

_"No, they-"_

The screen swapped to another place. It was in Membrane's lab, and Membrane stared at the screen from a spinny, rolly chair. He sighed as his hand covered his face. _"Dib and Gaz were in an accident today on the way home from school. I don't quite understand what's happened, but they both have lost a lot of their memories. I want to help them recover their lost memories, but-"_

The screen swapped to the last bit of film on the tape. Dib was standing with his back facing the camera, his shirt and coat were off, and his scar was in plain sight. _"It's healing, it's getting better. I have to remember the pain. I've got to be strong, and never trust again. I know I will encounter more in the future than this, so I have to remember this. I must remember the pain."_ He said to himself strongly.

The tape then shut off on it's own. Zim stared at the screen as he clicked the button on the remote to shut it off.

Zim laid down on Dib's bed. 'What...was all of that?' His mind wondered. His eyes darted to GIR's restoration bar, seeing that it was only at 7%, the he closed his eyes, deciding that sleep would help him relax a bit from all of the imagery he witnessed from Dib's past.

~Almost An Hour Later~

Dib arrived at the front door of his home, wondering what Gaz had meant. He thought about what he was over looking, not comming up with anything. He opened the door, walked in, then shut and locked it behind himself. He then turned around and scanned the room he was in, not seeing Zim anywhere in the living room. He then headed for the stairs, so he could find Zim. He figured that since they had to work together, they had to get on the same page, so discussing their situations was the first step to accomplishing this goal.

Dib opened the door leading into his own room, and froze as his eyes drifted over to his bed. Laying ibn the bed was the Invader he had allowed to stay over his house. He walked in and quietly shut the door behind himself. He walked over to his bed, glancing at the computer screen to find it was at 54%, and he sat down on the edge of his bed as he looked down at the Irken. He wondered how long he had been asleep.

Dib then felt his stomach rumble with hunger. He realised that he needed food, and he figured that Zim was probably hungry at this point as well. Dib didn't feel the want to rise though, really wanting to rest, relax. Not wanting to be alone, after asll that had happened recently.

Zim shifted and Dib turned to look at the alien. He cracked open his eyes, then opened them fully as they focused on Dib. Dib gripped one of his black boots and pulled it off his foot as he spoke to the alien. "So, you got tired and fell asleep in your arch enemy's bed, huh?" Dib asked, just to test the Irken's reaction. He figured Zim would be grouchy since he just woke up.

Instead, Zim's mind was on the tape he witnessed around an hour ago. "Dib...mind explaining some of your past to me?" Zim asked. "I saw the tape." He mentioned.

"Tape..?" Dib asked. His eyes then shot to the VHS. "Oh, yeah, some of the past was recorded but I don't remember much of it. Gaz and I got in an accident when we were young, so we both lost a good amount of memories." Dib explained.

"I'm guessing that abduction, the reserection, and all of the information on aliens you had back then is now gone, huh?" Zim asked Dib.

"Yeah, it is. Though...I remember some of what happened with the reserection of my mother..." Dib said. He then got really quiet as his eyes dropped from Zim to the blanket across his bed.

"What about the scar?" Zim asked, swapping subjects as he noticed Dib's reaction to his thoughts of his mother. "Where did that come from?"

"The scar..." Dib quietly breathed, the Irken just barely hearing it. "The scar..came from something that happened when I was young." Dib quickly said, his voice a bit edgey.

Zim was seriously curious about it, especially since it was larger on the tape than it was in real life, though he didn't know this. It was larger on tape since Dib was younger when it was films, and a smaller body of course has more expanded things on them, such as scars or birth marks.

"How did you get that scar?" Zim asked Dib in an authorative voice.

"...I was attacked." Dib said.

"...Attacked? By what?" Zim asked.

Dib turned his head towards the computer screen. "...I don't want to talk about it." He responded in a monotone voice.

Zim just sighed. He wanted answers, but he knew hurting this human would not help him reach answers any faster. "Alright, Dib. Just try to relax if you can." Zim said.

Dib then stood up. He walked over to the computer chair and sat down. Zim sat up in the bed as he stared at the human in confusion. Dib pulled up a new window which covered the percentage window.

"What are you doing?" Zim asked Dib.

"Shh. I'm checking my E-mail really quickly. I can't read well when people talk around me." He said. Dib's lowest point in school was reading when the room talked, which happened when there were subs. This is because nobody talked in Miss Bitter's presence when they weren't allowed to, and that allowed Dib concentration. But when people talked, it became much harder for him to read, he'd always had this problem.

To Dib's surprise, Zim remained silent as he looked over the E-mails he had. Dib had a few E-mails that he hadn't opened. He opened the first one, which was from days ago. This one was from Gaz, before she went comatose.

"Dib, I want to go to Bloaty's on Friday night. I already cleared this with Dad, so you better not be planning any stupid attacks on Zim. I'm telling you that if you ruin this family night I'll induce nightmares on you for weeks, and you know I CAN do this. So, tell Dad that you're going and BE HOME on Friday.

From: NightMareGameSlaveQueen AKA: Your scary sister who will kick your ass if you ignore me.

P.S. Don't you DARE let Iggens borrow my Game Slave Game 1 again! If you do, don't expect to keep your liver, Dib!"

Dib read this E-mail aloud, then turned around to look at Zim. Zim stared at Dib with wide eyes. "I'm this planet's invader and even I fear your creepy sister. I give you .0003% of my pity to you, Dib." Zim said to Dib, half mocking him and half being serious. Dib rolled his eyes as he spun back to face the computer. He deleted that E-mail which brought him back to the list of E-mails.

Dib's eyes scanned the next E-mails on the list, and this caused his eyes to widen. "...What?" He asked.

"What is it, Dib?" Zim called to Dib.

"These E-mails..." Dib said under his breath. There were five seperate E-mails from five different members of The Swollen Eyeball Network, Dib identified since they all use the abbreviation of the network in their E-mail addresses, like Dib did himself. Below that, there was an E-mail from "The_Purity_Of_The_D.E.A.T.H_Rose", which this E-mail belonged to Rosey, as Dib could recall. He figured that reading her E-mail first was a good idea, so he opened it up. He read this aloud for Zim to hear, his eyes widening with each word he spoke.

"I know it hurts to see us again, Dib. I'm sorry about my brother's actions, I know as well as you do that I have no choices of my own to make. I wanted to let you know that our deaths are nearing fast, his will come before mine. Remember how I told you he would die first, when we were little? Well, he will, I can tell. I refuse to tell you how, but expect it. He knows, he's distancing himself from everyone, but I can't distance myself, and you also know why that is, Dib. I really am sorry about the pain you will endure, I can't feel it since I am only connected to brother and can only feel present emotions and feelings in the living, but I can just...tell you will suffer too much. As for the Irkens....God, I'd hate to see their futures....your's too, Dib. Your's too...Farewell, from your little sister of the rose."

Dib leaned back in his seat as his hand covered his mouth. Zim stared intensely at Dib, seriously wanting answers from the human. "Dib....come here." Zim said sharply.

Dib spun in the chair to face Zim. "Why?" He asked the green skin.

"You need to explain yourself, Dib." Zim said. "Come here and tell me what you know." He commanded darkly.

Dib sighed, not resisting Zim at this point. He figured Zim deserved some answers, and telling someone about all of this would help his mind clear a bit better. Dib stood up slowly, walked over to the bed, and sat down in front of Zim. He turned his body to face Zim, then stretched out his legs so they hung over the side of the bed. "Zim...this is a long story..." He said, as his eyes drifted to the computer screen.

"Well, I'm listening." Zim said, shifting a little in the bed, and crossing his arms, to get more comfortable.

"Alright." Dib took a deep breath, slowly let it out, then closed his eyes. "Zackery and Rosey...let's start there. Zackey and Rosey appear human....the only thing that makes it obvious that they aren't, is their skin. Their skin is as cold as ice, and touching their skin for too long can result in frostbite, at least in humans, and this is definatly true. It's because they are humanoids. They were created...." Dib opened his serious, orange eyes. "By my father, Professor Membrane." He finished.

"What is this Rosey and Zackery like?" Zim asked.

Dib sighed as he reached over his bed. Zim looked down at the human quizzically as he watched Dib pull a white book from under the bed. This "book" had photos stuffed throughout it on each page, in translucent squares that were obviously made to hold such objects. The cover simply said "Dib's Photo Album", which was written in marker and badly faded.

"Alright." Dib sighed as he opened the album. He flipped through the pages quickly, Zim watching the boy's fingers grip and lightly toss each page aside. He stopped on a page suddenly, and reached his fingers into one of the squares, pulling out a photo to show to Zim.

Dib handed the photograph over to the alien, and Zim studied it well with his Irken eyes. In the picture, a much younger Dib and his sister Gaz stood back to back with cocky looks on both of their grinning faces. Behind the two stood Rosey and Zackery, they too were younger, but still taller than the emo and gothic styled siblings. Zack was smiling a big smile with his teeth showing, hie eyes were closed, one of his hands was on Dib's head ruffng his hair, and his other had was waving in the air. Rosey stood there, thood of the hoody she wore hiding her shyly smiling face to some degree.

"The two behind Gaz and myself are Rosey and Zackery." Dib explained. Zim handed him the picture back, and Dib slipped it into its rightful square sleeve in the photo album. "Back when we were young, the four of us were really close. We played games together, we spent time together, learned together...but it never lasted that long." Dib explained. "From the time Gaz and I were 5 to the time we were 7 they were around. They were finished being created when we were 5, and they left when we were 7 to hunt down the aliens. It's part of the reason why Dad wants me to stop my business with paranormal investigation, so I won't leave like they did." Dib explained.

"Why did they leave, exactly?" Zim asked with interest.

"They left...for revenge." Dib said. "See, when we were young, I was 6 years old at the time actually, my mother and father left on a trip. They came back days later, and I was going to meet mother with Gaz, she wasn't with Dad at this time. My memory is messy, I vaguely remember seeing her and greeting her, then I remember panicing as I yelled something to her, then my memory traces to being in the hosptal. I then remember being at her grave with Gaz. I decided to bring her back to life, and Gaz flipped out on me, telling me that I shouldn't. I remember that after mom died, Gaz became really cold. Zackery became cold, angry, and he blamed everyone for everything after that. Rosey became quiet, while Dad withdrew from Gaz and myself." Dib looked away from Zim, as pain filled his burnt orange eyes. "I myself...became a loner. But in reality...I wanted someone to be there for me, but nobody was, so I withdrew like my father did. I enwrapped myself in knowledge to escape my pain, and thus you have me before you today, the way I am. Had mother not died, I would have probably become a botanist like mother was, or a scientist like father is, but I guess I'm happy to be a paranormal investigator." Dib said as he flipped back a few pages in his album.

He turned the book around for Zim to see better, as he pointed to a picture of a woman. He had long, beautiful raven black hair, big burnt orange eyes, and she was wearing a long sunflower dress. "That was my mother. She was a great mom, always there for Gaz and I." Dib said as he watched Zim's large, red eyes look over the picture carefully. Dib then pulled the book back into his own lap when Zim looked up at him.

"So...she died from an alien's attack?" Zim asked.

Dib nodded. "I can only remember various clips of the fighting after mother died." He said as his eyes traced the wrinkles on Zim's gloved claw. "It was really bad. It started from the day after mom's funeral, and it went on until the final day Rosey and Zackery left. Apparently, this fight is starting up again..." Dib sighed with frustration as his eyes swapped to Zim's other claw.

"What happened..?" Zim asked.

"Well, on the day of the funeral, nobody spoke. The funeral happened near the end of November, I remember that. The day after, Zackery walked into the kitchen as Gaz and I silently ate. He was followed by Rosey, and he was screaming that it was the Irkens that killed her, but Gaz said that it was the Akrians. None of us knew which it was, but he still thinks that the Irkens were the ones who killed her, to this day." Dib froze.

-

_"It was an Irken leader named Blue who abducted you. I won't say what she did to you, but let's just say you wouldn't want to experience it again, okay? I hope you can recover those memories, your reaction to it would be priceless!"_

-

Arc's voice ran through Dib's mind. He shook his head. "See, We were in a situation where Irkens and Akrians were on Earth. Apparently there was a small group of Irkens fighting with an Akrians here, and they brought their fight to our planet. I saw one of the Irkens, who was laying on the ground in a lot of pain...then I was hit and knocked unconsious. I woke up with Gaz hovering over me, treating my would. I asked her what happened, she didn't know and said she found me in the street unconsious. Some time after that...I had been abducted." Dib said.

"Who abducted you?" Zim asked Dib. He was actually testing the human right now, as his thoughts wen t back to the tape. He heard what Dib had said to Gaz on that tape.

-

_"How would you know?! I've vaguely heard anything about the Akrians, oh, and did I mention I was being poked and prodded by a weird IRKEN while I was told about Akrians?! I'm pretty sure I did, Gaz! That Irken ABDUCTED me! She did so many weird things, and now I'm-"_

-

Dib's eyes drifted over to GIR. "I don't know." His voice said sternly, but his eyes read otherwise. Zim smiled as he heard Dib lie to him. He knew the human could never be 100% truthful with him, but it left Zim with plenty of questions about why his advanced kind would abduct a weird human like him, and for what reason they would do so.

"My next memories that I have after that bring me to a rainy day. It was the last time I had seen Rosey and Zackery since today. Zack said he couldn't trust either Gaz or myself, so he left with Rosey." Dib finished explaining.

"Why doesn't Rosey speak her mind?" Zim asked as Dib had unknowingly taken all of Zim's attention for himself.

"Rosey can't...Dad designed her to follow Zack's lead. They cannot live without each other, and Zack threatens to leave her if she doesn't listen to him. If the two are sperated by a 20 foot radius for more than five minutes, their bodies will stop functioning. This is because of the design my dad gave them, which requires a special substance that both of their bodies carry. Without being together, neither of their bodies have the right amount of this substance to survive, which means they will die if they part." Dib explained, making Zim's eyes bug a bit.

"That's a hard way of living..." Zim said. He shook his head, tired of this talk. It had been a really long day, and Zim figured he and the human should take some time now to get ready for bed. It was a bit early, but they both had had a long day.

"Oh!" Dib said as he snapped his fingers. "I fended off a new Akrian today, in the hospital." He told Zim.

"IN the hostpital??" Zim asked.

Dib nodded. "This Akrian had a huge...thing." Dib said, recieving a weird look from the Irken. "It...it was a big, spidery, rooty, plant thingy of doom." Dib said, nodding as he crossed his arms.

"........Riiight." Zim responded, thinking Dib was just losing his mind at this point.

Zim's response made Dib's shoulders and arms slump as he swapped over to a pouty look. Zim laughed at the human, now earning him a glare. Dib then shook his head as his glare faded, he placed the photo album on the bed, and he got up off the bed.

"Where are you going?" Zim asked.

"I'm going to go cook us something." Dib explained. "You can eat French toast, right?" He asked Zim.

"Yeah." The alien responded, finding himself now wanting to eat some French toast.

"Alright." Dib responded kindly to Zim. He then headed out of his room and down the stairs to cook.

Zim looked down at the photo album, deciding to look through it a bit before he would go downstairs with Dib. He picked up the book, placed it in his lap, and opened it to the first page.

* * *

Alrighty, another chapter is now up and running! When my friend edited this chapter, she said it's different than when I've written previously. Well, with more explained the two can now work together against the Akrians...or can they? ^^


	7. Bring GIR To Life

The Irken And The Earthling's War And Love  
Chapter 7  
~Bring GIR To Life~  
_[ZaDr]_

Zim looked down at the page of the album before him. There were four pictures on each page. He stared at the page, and then slowly flipped it, and he kept this cycle going as he looked through each page. The first pictures showed Dib when he was a little kid, one picture on that page showed him holding his little sister when he was old enough to know how to do this. The next pages showed the two, and they seemed close as they hugged and played together in pictures. There were pictures with his mother and father in them as well.

Soon, Zim reached the pictures of when Rosey and Zackery appeared in Dib and Gaz's lives. They all seemed really happy in the pictures, making Zim wonder what it was like to always have some people around. His eyes then wandered over to GIR, then at the screen on the computer. His companion was only at 59%, and Zim let go of a quick sigh as he looked back down at the album.

He contunued to turn the pages, and he saw a change. One picture showed his mother's gravestone. The pictures after that showed Dib alone, Gaz alone, Rosey and Zack together only, a couple showed Zack and Dib together, and other pictures showed the one of two of the young kids with Professor Membrane.

Zim then came across pictures of Dib fighting with Gaz, Gaz fighting with Zack, and then he found an interesting picture. This picture showed Dib lifted off the ground by his collar, and the one who held him up...was Rosey. She was screaming at him in this picture. Dib's head was bleeding, too. Zim smirked, wondering what had happened, but decided not to ponder about it for too long.

He then started flipping pages again. He came across pictures of Dib with his shirt and coat off, showing his large scar healing over time. It came to the point of where its status is today, then he saw pictures of Dib and Gaz again. Most of these pictures showed Gaz either mad at him or picking on him. Like one picture showerd her glaring up at the human from a book, looking like she was going to bite his head. Another picture showed her throwing a video game controller at him.

Zim then found his way towards the end of the album, which he passed by pictures of Dib with his father. They were working together on experiments and research. Then he saw more pictures of Dib with Gaz, this time, these pictures showed them more lax, but not playful like when they were little. The last pictures on the last page showed Dib, Gaz, and the Professor together, with the very last picture showing Dib, Gaz, Membrane, their mother, Zack, and finally Rosey all together when they were still young.

Zim shut the book. He felt just SLIGHTLY disappointed at the fact that Dib had no pictures of him in that album at all. He shrugged as he hopped off the bed. He knelt down to put the album under Dib's bend, but when he looked, he saw another album under there. Zim turned his head away, and not really knowing why, but he decided to take a look at it. He put the white album he held under the bed, then gripped the other one he had found, pulling it out.

Zim stood up straight as he read the cover. It was called "The Zim Files, Created By Dib", and that had been written in marker.

Zim sat down with the album on the bed. He placed it in his lap and opened it. This album held four pictures on each page as well, but a the bottom of each page, and below each picture, there was room to write stuff.

The first page showed Zim in disguise at school. On the first page, at the bottom, Dib wrote "An alien? I think so!"

Under the first picture which showed Zim sitting at a desk with his hands folded, Dib had written "Green skin." Like he was writting mental notes.

The second picture showed Zim soaked and burning from water, and under it Dib wrote "Humans DON'T burn from water!"

The third picture showed Zim burning from a piece of bologona. Under it was written, "...Or meat!"

The fourth picture showed Zim with his Spider Legs out. "Umm I don't think humans have things like THAT, either!" Dib wrote under that picture.

The pages went on like this as Zim flipped through it.

There was a picture of GIR in his dog suite. "Man's best friend?"

Next to that picture was one of GIR out of disguise. "Or alien's best friend?!"

There were plenty of pictures of Zim and some of GIR without disguises on. The first of Zim said "So this is our Invader in the flesh!"

Zim continued looking through this album for a long while, not even noticing the sound of Dib's screaming.

~With Dib~

"AAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!" Dib's voice rang out through the house. His dark red blood dripped onto the kitchen's floor. He had been slicing an apple with a knife, when he accidentally slipped. He ran, dropped the knife on the floor as he ran over to the sink immediatly. He turned on the water and placed his hand under the rushing H2O, hissing as the connection was made between liquid and skin.

"Ga-Gaz! Why can't you be here?!" He asked the hollow, lonely kitchen as the water flowed into the wound. His sister was the one that would usually cook, but since she was in the hospital he had to cook, and he hated cooking since he hurt himself often in the kitchen. As he focused, Dib got a chance to realise just how big the cut was. It stretched from the base of his index finger to the left side of his palm's base. He also only just realised that he sliced open his right hand. The slice wasn't deep, but he just didn't like when things like this happened to him, which they happened a bit too often for comfort.

Dib turned the knob to shut the water off, and he looked down at his hand. It was bleeding rapidly, and he could tell this was the kind of wound that would bleed like a bitch if he didn't try to stop it. Dib quickly walked to the bathroom, careful not to slip on the knife he had dropped to the floor. He walked to the medical cabinet and opened it to find...it was almost empty!

"Wha-NO!!" Dib yelled. 'There are ALWAYS supplies in here! Why are there none now?!' His mind yelled.

There was one object, a tube. Dib grabbed it, hopping it was Neosporin. His eyes scrolled across the words, and he found that it was just skin conditioner. He glared at the tube, then slammed it back down on the bottom of the cabinet. He slammed the door shut, then looked down at the blood that was dripping down his hand. He sighed, figuring this was just punishment for the past.

~With Zim~

Zim closed the album, reached over the side of the bed, and placed it under the bed, on top of the other album. He fell backwards on the bed, his head laying on Dib's pillow. He rolled onto his side as he sniffed the pilllow, only now realising it smelled strongly like Dib did. Zim sighed lightly as he closed his eyes. He didn't hate Dib, and if there was something he liked about he human, it was his scent.

Irkens have strong senses of smell. They have no noses, but they have smelling senses that are stronger than human's, and less messy since they didn't sneeze or have stuffy noses when they got sick, like humans did. Zim found he liked Dib's scent, especially opposed to many of the other humans.

Dib never used the scented products that the Irken would smell on other humans at Skool, those scents were too strong for him and sickened him for the most part. Dib also stayed clean, something too many of the human males didn't do. 'Irkens are...clean freaks...' Zim realised as he thought back to many disgusting things he'd used all five of his senses to endure. He also realised that he liked Dib's scent...because it was different and smelled good to his sense. Zim narrowed his eyes as he thought a bit harder about this. 'His scent...it's kinda...familiar....' His thoughts then broke.

Zim then jerked his head up to the door as it swung open. Dib rushed inside, making his way to the desk as the door slammed against the wall. He knelt down on the floor and opened up the drawer at the bottom, Zim sitting up enough to lean back on his hands.

Zim watched curiously from his current position as Dib's left hand slipped into the drawer and started shifting through all of the items inside quickly. This is when he spotted Dib's bloodied hand, which Dib had fisted near his chest, his uninjured hand still fishing around in the drawer. Zim saw the human's blood flowing between his fingers and down the side of his hand a bit.

Zim hopped up off the bed as Dib growled at the drawer with frustration. "DAMN! If Gaz was here, I wouldn't have to cook! She's better at cooking than I am! Man, I'm really starting to miss her..." Dib said, his left hand pulling thin air out of the drawer as it lifted up out of the drawer. "I have no first aid supplies here." He muttered as his fisted, bloodied hand tightened.

Dib was so enwrapped in his frustration, he didn't notice the green-skinned boy looming over him, observing his hand and listening to him ramble.

Zim contemplated whether he should aid the boy or not with his Irken medicine. He had no idea what kind of effects it may have on Dib, but he didn't want to leave the human with such a long injury. He decided quickly that he would try it, and if anything went wrong, he'd use Dib's computer to diagnose what happened, and from there...he'd think of something.

Zim's PAK opened as a single Spider Leg came forth with a white bottle in it's grip, this bottle having a light green cap. The Spider Leg came into Zim's reach, and he took the bottle, the Spider Leg retracting back inside the PAK. Zim gave the now quiet Dib a little tap on the shoulder with one of his clawed fingers.

Dib jumped slightly at the touch, then turned his head to look at Zim. The Irken then quickly snagged the human's soft, right wrist in his own Irken grip. Zim pulled on Dib's wrist a slight bit roughly, but not painfully, and Dib fell over on the floor. Zim shut the drawer then turned his head to the human, who sat up to pout at the alien.

"What are you doing?" Dib asked as Zim sat down in front of him.

Zim wordlessly popped the green cap off of the white bottle he held, revealing it to have a spray-like top. Zim dropped the cap onto the floor then used this now free claw to grip Dib's wrist again. He lightly pulled the hand closer to himself and turned it so Dib's bloody palm faced the ceiling. Dib slowly opened his hand, a bit unsteady, his palm revealing the long, shallow cut which was tinted with the thickening blood coat.

Zim shook his head at Dib. "This is why you watch what you're doing when you cook." He sighed, Dib looking away shamefully. "You'd never be a cook where I come from." He added, a slight bit of smugness slipped into his voice.

On Irk, the food the Irkens slice up is very various, as well as what ingredients are used in the cooking, the way the meals are prepared and cooked, and what is actually eaten. Zim knew that Irken food was well loved, and he heard tales that many species from everywhere in the galaxy would flock to Irk for many reasons in the peaceful days, and their food was a major reason.

Zim then shook the can in his hand very well, for almost a minute straight. He then pressed his finger down on the spray button, the opening on it releasing a light purple liquid which sprinkled down like fast rain onto Dib's wounded hand. Dib hissed loudly in response to the spray, then Zim released the button, halting the liquid. He picked up the cap he previously dropped, and put it back on the bottle. The Spider Leg came forth again, took the bottle, then returned to the PAK once more. Zim watched curiously as he saw the human's blood flow slowing.

Dib stared at his own hand in amazement. "What was that..?" He asked Zim.

"A special Irken medicine." Zim explained. "I actually wasn't sure if it would work on you, but it seems to be fairing very well, actually." He said.

Zim then took off his extremely soft, black gloves, and Dib's eyes widened in astonishment. Zim's hands had the green, Irken skin as the rest of his body did, but Dib's eyes were glued to the fingers. The fingers were around the same length of Dib's own, but at their tips, were very odd nails. The Irken nails sat on top of each finger, shaped down to fit perfectly, like human nails were. These nails though...they were sharp, and the texture was far different. They were made of a strange, translucent substance with a very small tint of white, and they looked razor sharp and rock hard. Zim's nails reminded Dib of crystals.

Zim grabbed Dib's blood covered hand, feeling the boy flinch at his touch. Zim's right hand gripped the back side of Dib's hand, his fingers curled upwards between Dib's fingers lightly, brushing his sharp nails against the human's skin. His other hand gripped Dib's wrist firmly. Dib felt nervous, a single droplet of sweat slipping down his face.

Zim looked up at Dib's face, his eyes darting over to the four strings of stitches that stretched across Dib's left cheek. He felt a strange feeling in his Irken stomach, which the Irkens would call their Gatchata.

The reason Irkens had different names for organs apart from the humans, is because their bodies were completely different from humans. They looked different, they worked differently, but then again, some parts could be refered to as the same things that humans had, because they preformed the same tasks that the human body parts did on a whole. But, in reality, they are still different.

Zim stared intensly at the stitched up wounds for so long, Dib was starting to wonder if he was alright. Dib felt the Irken's hands holding his own human one, finding fearing the feeling of his hands. Those claws on Zim's hands were the weapons that scratched the boy's face. Hell, Zim could have killed him, had he wanted to.

Zim then tuned back in. He shifted his gaze down to the human's hand, now finding that the bleeding had finally stopped. "Dib, do you feel any pain? Perhaps numbness or strange feelings at all?" He asked the human. Considering Dib was human, he might be affected badly by the Irken medicine.

Dib shook his head. "No, it feels fine." He responded, still amazed at the Irken's medicine working so well, so fast on his frail skin.

Zim then shifted his left thumb over to Dib's palm, softly, easily moving it across the split skin. Dib's still drying blood got on the Irken's claw a little, but he really didn't care. "Does this hurt at all?" He asked the human.

"No." Dib said, the pain completely gone.

Zim then stopped moving his claw around, and returned it back to its resting spot on Dib's wrist. "Good." He responded.

The two remained in their positions for a few minutes. They were both deep in thought.

Zim's mind was caught on the pain he had inflicted on the human. He couldn't place it, but...he felt something was wrong. He felt like...it was bad to inflict so much pain on Dib. He really didn't understand it. His mind tossed him back to Dib after he had been tortured. He looked so messed up, that the extra pain Zim inflicted on him felt like it was a horrible crime. His mind then went back to Dib's scared shoulder and back. Zim lowered his head, in thought. He wondered...what Dib was really like. He only knew Dib as his enemy, his enemy he refused to lose or lose to.

Dib on the other hand was wondering why he was alive. Why did Zim save him? Why isn't he fighting his way out of this? Perhaps it was only because it was his leader's orders. Even so, why not another human? His father, the smartest human alive, was an option. There are SOME other smart humans in the world as well, but Zim still chose Dib, his enemy. His enemy he slashed. His foe he could kill at anytime, and Dib figured he WANTED to kill him. So why? Why would the Irken let him live?

Zim sighed, breaking both the human and his own thoughts. Dib and Zim looked up at one another, their sights locking on each other's eyes. "Dib..." Zim breathed. "I'm sorry." He said, allowing his pride to vanish for once.

Dib went quiet for a few seconds. "...What?" He asked, confused as to what Zim had meant.

Zim slipped his right claw away from Dib's hand. He slowly, easily placed his four clawed fingers against Dib's left cheek, each finder landing beside each stitched line of skin. Dib cringed at the touch, figuring Zim would try to tear his stitches out or something crazy like that.

"I'm sorry for inflicting this pain on you. You've probably felt...a huge amount of pain for a human's capacity, so I'm sorry, alright?" Zim said, taking both his claws back from Dib's face and wrist. "Anyways..." He started as he stood up. "Aren't you cooking?" He asked.

Dib shook his head up at the Irken. "I was going to start cooking once I finished getting some fruit for myself." He explained to Zim.

"I'll cook it, then. That way you don't kill yourself, Dib." Zim said with a smirk. He then extended his hand to the human who still sat on the floor.

Dib reached for Zim's out stretched hand, who quickly lifted his hand away from the human. "Too slow." He said as he turned to the door. He easily walked outside, Dib glaring hotly at the alien's back.

"That bastard..." He muttered as he got up. He then walked over to the door, stopping suddenly. Dib looked back over to the computer. He saw that GIR's bar was now at 64%. He remembered he had received five different E-mails from The Swollen Eyeball Network. Dib quietly shut the door, then quickly ran to his computer chair and hopped in it.

Dib opened the E-mail window again, and he opened the first E-mail, which was from Agent Darkbootie. This E-mail was sent only a day ago.

"Agent Mothman, we have a major issue here on Earth. We have just discovered that aliens are after Earth. They are called the Akrians. We have all of our agents working on this now. We know you have a thing about aliens, so we need you to take all of our information that we have to provide, and work with us to get rid of these aliens. They are VERY hostile, and they have no good intentions what so ever. Do not let any of the Akrians fool you, Agent Mothman. We will give you any information we obtain, and in the meantime, we need you to work with us to bring them down.

Reported From: Dark_Kick_In_The_Ass_SEN"

"Wooow..." Dib let his voice ring clearly into the air. His eyes were huge as he stared at the screen. "This is so COOL!" He cheered. "They must not think I'm crazy, anymore!"

Dib then went back to the E-mail list, and opened the next E-mail on the list. He opened the next one, which was from Agent Nessie.

"I am providing you with very valuable, top-notch information, Mothman, so you'd better use it wisely. These Akrians require water to live, to the extreme of it being necassary for them to soak their bodies in at least the hours each day. We know one of these Akrians can create rain, as to how, it's probably magic. Agent Tuna Ghost or Agent Shiny Locket are both trying hard with figuring this one out. I do have a theory, that an Akrian deprived of water for too long may die. I do know that when one is deprived of water for over a day, they start to have strange spaz attacks, but how I got this information is classified. I'm still working on this and I'm not sure if this is true, but it's a theory. I'd guess thier home world either rains a lot or has plenty of water everywhere, for all I know, it may be nothing but a sphere of water. Well, just use this information to do what you can, Agent Mothman. And please, don't contact me to show me a dog eating anymore waffles, contact me with anything acually important, please.

::Message Out:  
Senior::Enigmatic::Nessie"

Dib let his head hang after he read the last couple of lines in the message. 'Okay...he still thinks I'm crazy. I really did see all of those insane things happening, though! But those evil robots destroyed my equipment! Dad had to install some new stuff for me, he was so mad. I can't believe all the trouble Zim can put me through without doing ANYTHING!' Dib's mind screen.

He then lifted his head and returned to the E-mail list. He opened up GIR's recovery screen quickly, and read that GIR was only at 65%. He shook his head and opened the E-mail window up again. He opened the next widow, which was from Agent PainfulSpork, and this message and the remaining two are from today. He smiled, very expectant of this message. He knew Agent PainfulSpork always rounded up great information on the paranormal, though he never contacted her too often, only because he tries not to irritate The Swollen Eyeball members...much.

"Alrighty, I've gathered some useful information about our attacking aliens. First off, Earth is surrounded, as we have learned from one of our satilites. I'm surprised they have yet to attack those yet, but it could be that they don't know about our satilites, or they just don't care. The Akrians also have more and more ships arriving, some of which have come down to Earth. I encountered one of the way home from work, and it almost too myself and Agent Tabby Katty out. We're okay, but damn, are those claws sharp! Anyways, please be aware and careful, Agent Mothman. They have us under a now 29 day warning before waging war with us, and this is assuming we cannot take them down before this time limit is over. If you have any information on how to kill them, inform me, please!

Painful~Spork~Of~~~S~~E~~N~~~DOOM!"

Dib decided to reply to this. He pressed the reply button, and typed this.

"PainfulSpork! I have some valuable information! Well, I don't really know how useful this is, but my sister told me before going comatose two words. She said "The Heart". I don't know what that means, but it feels like it really is important. My sister was attacked by one of the Akrians, and she is now in the hospital, in a coma. I'll let you know anything else I find out.

From: The_Dib_Damned_To_Being_Doomed_By_SEN"

Dib chuckled as he read his user name, then he pressed Send. He returned to the E-mail list, and clicked on the next one in the list, which was from Agent Tuna Ghost. She was one of the only members he could really sit down and chat with, and the one of the only ones who would listen to him and believe what he says.

"Agent Mothman, I have been looking through my Spell Drives, and I found a spell that sees into the future. I used it, and, Dib....we have a major problem. I saw you fighting with an alien, it's not an Akrian, and he-"

Dib's eyes froze on that word as he heard the door creak open. His hand immediatly shot to the monitor's power button, and he spun the chair to face Zim, who stood there glaring at the human. "I called you I don't know how many times!" Zim yelled at Dib. "Come eat you're damn food, already!" He ordered.

Dib darted his eyes to the monitor, to Zim, back to the monitor, then to Zim again. He looked nervous, his hand shaking slightly. 'What was Tuna Ghost going to tell me? Was it something...DAMN! I can't check with Zim LOOKING!!' Dib frantically thought about how to make the Irken leave, without offending him or seeming rude. He wasn't prepared to fight with Zim over this.

Zim noticed the human's nervous body language, curious as to what was on the computer screen. "What is on the screen, Dib?" Zim asked, a bit of an edge of laughter to his voice. He couldn't wait to figure out what the human would hide from him.

Dib knew The Swollen Eyeball Network would be pissed had he let an alien have any information on them what so ever, especially while Earth is in danger of aliens that were surrounding it. "Nothing." Dib said holding a clear, serious voice.

"Oh, so why don't you click the computer monitor on?" Zim asked in a silly voice to antagonize the human.

"Because, it's none of your business." Dib said, his voice matching, at the same time as mocking, Zim's voice.

"Well, I'm making it my business, Dib." Zim spat as his arms crossed and his glare darkened. "What are you hiding from your world's real invader?" He asked, tone steady.

Dib smirked. "Oh, that's a secret, commander!" His voice playfully mocked Zim.

Zim growled, his arms unfolded quickly and his hand shot forth towards the screen's power button. Dib grabbed the Irken's arm. Zim shoved back on Dib's arms and hit him in the chest, shocking Dib to let go, and Zim took his arm back long enough to quickly turn the computer screen back on. "Ha!" He cheered for one second, the next second he gawked at the screen. "Wh-wha?" He muttered in disbelief at what he read on the screen.

Dib immediatly rose from the chair as his shock shook off. He shoved Zim, who limply fell on his side on the floor, and Dib leaned forward on the desk with his hands. His eyes finished reading what Agent Tuna Ghost had reported to him, and his sweat slipped down his face nervously.

"I saw you fighting with an alien, it's not an Akrian, and he grabbed you by the neck with his claws, then tossed you against a wall. Your sister then ran forward and she attacked him with some soda she had on her, and he jumped back. You got up and ran infront of her, taking a slice from his claws. His big eyes were black and he kept slashing his claws down on you...it was insane to watch. The last bit I saw was an Akrian showing up, this Akrian then stopped the flow of time for everything aside from himself and you, and he then lifted you off the ground by your collar. He then stabbed his claws right through you, and you went limp. That's when it cut off because my Spell Drive was out of points to pump into it. I really wanted to warn you of that, Dib. Please be careful and try to stay consious! Also, start carrying your communication scroll with you, Dib! I wanted to contact you sooner than this. We need to discuss this later, Agent Mothman.

Oh, by the way, that alien that attacked you first was around the same height as you and had green skin. Do you know anything?

From: TunaFishIsBetter!~SEN"

Dib's hand shook slightly. 'Am...am I gonna die..?' His mind questioned.

Zim got up and quickly dusted himself off. He then pointed a claw at Dib. "I DO NOT have black eyes! No Irken does!" He yelled, assuming the human would wonder about that first.

Dib looked over at Zim. "....That Akrian....the one from the elevator can alter time. He tossed me back, I almost fell out of the shaft. Oh God..." He fell to the floor on his ass. "Oh man...."

Zim sighed. He dropped to his knees on the floor, facing Dib's side. "Dib, you won't die. I promise." He said. He liked fighting with the human, he felt better when he did. He felt better with this human around. No way was anyone else going to take the human from him. 'Dib, Gaz, Professor Membrane, all humans belong to me. Dib isn't going anywhere.' Zim's mind said strongly.

Dib sighed, shaking his head. "No, that will be my fight when the time comes. For now, I need to get stronger, and try hard." He said, more to himself than Zim.

"To become stronger, you first need nourishment. Filthy human nourishment. Come Dib, the food is done, so come eat." Zim said as he stood he held out his hand to the human.

Dib glared up at the hand, then smirked. He knew better. Zim smirked in response, then grabbed Dib's shoulder and hoisted him up. Zim's eyes averted to the screen. "What is that, anyways?" He asked.

"You have your secrets, and I have mine." Dib said, gripping the mouse and quickly closing the E-mail window out. GIR's restoration bar was still filling. He turned to his computer's top right drawer, opened it, and fished around for what Tuna Ghost had mentioned. He then found it, a scroll of strange blue paper. Both ends of the paper were wrapped around, and attached to, two metal bars. This scroll was the communication pathway he would use to contact The Swollen Eyeball members. It would make a sound and the blue paper would shine just barely when a communication pathway was opened. Members responded when they could, or wanted to. This is how they communicated now. There's a button on the paper that Dib could press to get the attention of the other members, and pressing it again would make that stop.

Dib then grabbed Zim's sleeve and tugged on it twice as he headed for the door. Zim followed the human, and the two went down stairs. They made their way to the kitchen, and both human and alien sat down at the table, where Zim had both plates of their food sitting. Dib immediatly grabbed a slice of French toast and started to chew on it.

Zim stared at the human, observing the way he ate. He noticed Dib wasn't sloppy with the way he ate, like so many filthy humans were. He was eating in a much more careful way, assuring he bit into the food over the plate so the crumbs would fall below. Dib ate a lot better than any human he'd seen aside from Gaz. He ate better than GIR did as well.

'GIR...' Zim thought. He looked up at Dib, just crawling upon a thought as he bit into his own food. 'Dib's sister is in a coma, and GIR is still disfunctional, I'm going to guess he will be until morning. Even after the restoration process, My Tallest must download the extra information into him, so it will be an all night process.' Zim and Dib were both in a situation where the only person they had by their sides were gone. Aside from that, they had only people who were pretty distant from them. They also had each other. Zim shook his head, receiving a strange look from Dib as he sipped on a glass of water. Dib then ate one of the apple slices on his plate.

"Dib, we need to use what we know against the Akrians. We need a plan, because we can't let them destroy Earth or Irk." Zim said. "So, what do we know so far, and what do we need to know?" Zim asked, then took a quick bite of his food.

Dib bit his lip for a moment as he thought over what he knew about their alien foes. "I know that they have really strong, strange technology, and they also have strong claws." He said as his mind cycled through the torture and the pain that had been inflicted on him. "They require water to live, they have...some sort of strange teleportation abilities, there's one which can create rain, one can...somehow alter time, and they have some very strong...pets." Dib explained, every recent event flowing through his mind as he spoke. "That's all I've got." He added, then took a big bite of his French toast.

Zim, who was currently chewing a piece of his French toast, slowed his chewing a little, then swallowed hard. "We'll need to plan this out well. From my knowledge, both of our worlds are under seize. Any wrong move, anything that upsets our foes too much, could result in our worlds both being lit on fire." Zim said, his tone very serious.

"Or shocked relentlessly." Dib muttered spitefully. He then took a small bite of his French toast as he used his free hand to prop his large head up, his elbow glued to the table.

"So, we need to gather information on a weakness..." Zim said slowly, then popped the last bit of his meal in his mouth. He quickly chewed and swallowed it. "We need to experiment or something in order to do that, though." He added, scratching his chin thoughtfully. "They require water to live, yet used lightning to their advantage. That contradicts itself." Zim said, thinking back to the research he had done on water, and how it conducted lightning, electricity.

Dib bit off another quick piece of the food. 'So, if we can't use lightning, since they come from a planet of extreme climate....' His thoughts trailed off. 'Heart....what is that supposed to mean? Perhaps we must destroy their hearts? How do you destroy a heart? Do they even HAVE hearts?!' Dib stressed as his mind cycled through various thoughts. He shook his head as he popped the last pice of French toast in his mouth.

Dib rose to his feet as he grabbed the last apple slice. He chewed it as Zim spoke. "Do you know anything, Dib?" Zim asked, his ruby eyes locked on Dib's orange ones.

Dib tilted his head slightly, the light of the ceiling lamp reflecting off his glasses, enhancing the serious look in his eyes. "No." He said, lying to Zim as he stared directly in the eyes. 'I can't trust him...' His mind whispered faintly to him.

Dib sliently picked up the plates and his own cup, then walked towards the sink. As he placed the items inside, Zim stood up from his seat. He walked up to the human and stood behind him. He quickly glanced back at the front door to Dib's house, then turned back to the human, who still stood at the sink, back facing Zim.

The tapping of rain was suddenly picked up by both Zim and Dib's senses, and they heard this sound increase in speed and amount. Zim's released a Spider Leg from his PAK once again, and this Spider Leg came withing his own reach. It held a strange device in its limited grasp, between its sharp, pointed tip and skinny metal. This strange device was silver, it was square in shape, and it fit perfectly in Zim's hand. He recalled the Spider Leg back into his PAK, and quickly glanced at the door again, then back at Dib.

"Dib we need to go." He said urgently. "I sense them out there. I'm pretty sure I do." Zim said, his anntenas twitching slightly.

Dib turned around to face Zim, stern look on his face. "Alright...but, how can you sense them?" He asked, tilting his head to the side a bit.

Zim shook his head, as sort of a "nevermind" in response to Dib's question. "Let's go." He commanded, and walked towards the front door leading outside the house. Dib followed the Irken outside, pulling his handgun out of it's holster and gripping it tightly.

The Irken unlocked, then swiftly swung the door open. Before him, stood Arc, Ace, Kiya, and four other Akrians, all of which had their menacing eyes on the Irken.

"Ohhh, do we have company." Zim stated bitterly.

Dib came up behind Zim, and peered over his shoulder at the Akrians before them. His stern eyes locked with Ace's glaring, expectant ones. "The C77612." He spat at him as his arms crossed.

"Oh, very good, human." He said, his vicious, sly smirk spreading across his face slowly. "So, why is it a problem for you to remember your past?" He questioned.

"...What?" Dib murmured.

"Heh, either you are very stupid or you are trying to block out your past, perhaps without realising....how amusing." Ace chuckled.

Zim glared the Akrians down, his left hand shooting out to the door frame as the right side of his body leaned against the other part of the door frame. This created a barrier between the Akrians before him and Dib, who stood behind him.

"What the hell do you want?" Zim asked the Akrians disgustedly.

Kiya laughed. "Isn't this obvious, Irken?" He asked. "We want the human." He stated.

"Why?" Zim asked, glare never dropping.

"That is OUR business, not yours, Irken." Ace spat.

"Our's alone~" Arc piped.

Zim growled, his right hand's grip on the silver square object tightening. "If you want this human that badly, then you'll have to go through me first." He said, ruby eyes forming into glaring slits as he stared down the aliens before him.

"Of course, your shortness." Arc said, bowing slightly as he mocked the Invader. This caused a loud uproar of laughter from the Akrians around him.

Zim then held up the stange square object, holding it out straight in front of him in his clawed hand. From the side of this object near Zim's thumb claw, a green light was unleashed. It stretched across to be at a fair length compared to Zim's arm. This light turned into a seemingly liquid-like light, yet it seemed stable at the same time. Dib tilted his head to the side, finally registering what this object was. It was an Irken-like sword, kind of like a liquid life saber almost, but it had the shape of a sword's blade. The handle was the silver object in his hand, and a strange energy flowed off of this weapon so strongly, Dib felt like it was flowing through his entire body.

Zim lunged himself towards Arc, letting theheavy rain sting his Irken flesh, and slashing his Irken sword down as the Akrian jumped back. Though he jumped back, the sword slammed down on his hand, and the Akrian gripped his left, injured hand.

Zim smirked as he jumped back in the doorway and looked upon the wound his weapon inflicted on this beast. The Akrian's hand was bleeding a little, and the skin was dipped down in the injured spot. The skin had turned a dark shade of blue, contrasting well with the rest of the skin.

"Oh...a bruise." He muttered. "Well, I bet I could do more~" His words flowed with his hand movements, as he pulled out a small device from the white coat he wore. That was something Dib just noticed about them. They all wore white coats each time he saw them. That and white clothes underneath. He found this very strange, not really knowing why.

This small device was a small square, the shade of a dark chocolate square. His thumb covered a large button on the surface of this object. "So, if I click this button, a large ship will come from the sky, and abduct the human. You will be shot at repetatively by the weapons on the ship, Zim, and then you-"

Dib then bolted past Zim, bumping into him which knocked him over into the door frame's side he stood by. Dib then jumped, and quickly snatched the square object from Arc. He landed on the ground behind the Akrian, then spun around as every alien there gaped at him. He smirked oddly as his hand holding the device rose up for all of them to see. He then crushed it in his hand, careful not to press the button. He dropped the broken object, and the pieces clacked tyo the ground at seperate times. He then quickly dusted off his hands, and gave the crowd a cocky grin.

"Y-YOU BRAT!!!" Ace yelled. He then ran up to Dib quickly, gripping his neck and hoisting him up off the ground with his right claw alone. Dib cried out for a couple of seconds, then stopped as Ace applied too much pressure for him to breathe.

"Wait! Big brother, you shall kill him if you continue this." Kiya said in his strange voice.

"Silence! I am not your brother." He said. "Remember, your sibling is deceased. All the more reason to be rid of these THINGS!!!" He yelled, Dib completely unable to breathe as his hand gripped the Akrian's wrist. His other hand shook as it held the gun's handle in a death grip.

"Big Brother, we must allow him to live. We need to know if he really is-"

"No Kiya! He must perish! He will not do anything for us, we must stand on our own!!" He yelled.

"We are almost extinct, Broth-"

Zim then ran straight at Ace, and he propelled his body off the ground as he neared him to pack more force into his attack. He slammed the sword's blade across the Akrians back, causing him to call out in pain, and release Dib's throat. Dib fell to the ground as the large Akrian fell to his side.

Dib crab walked backwards a couple of steps worth, and stopped as his back bumbed into something. He jerked his head straight up to see Zim standing there. "Thanks." Dib said, then staggered to his feet.

He was creeped out by Ace attempting to choke him to death, but he held up his gun, aiming it at the Akrian. He pulled the trigger three times, the semi-auto handgun shooting three bullets into the alien's back. Ace then quickly got up on his feet, and ran forward, towads the humans and Irken.

Zim then ran straight at Ace in response. He slashed his sword in a diagonal down swing, as Ace did the complete reverse of this, which meant he unleashed a diagonal upwards slash with his long claws. Zim slammed his sword down on Ace's left shoulder, as Ace's claws scratched Zim under the left side of his chin.

Dib then shot two bullets at the Akrian's right shoulder as he jumped back. His gun then needed more bullets, so he pulled out a few bullets from his jeans pocket. Meanwhile, Zim held up his sword horizontally, taking a defensive stance as Ace glared them down.

Arc walked up to Ace, and wrapped his arms around Ace's neck. "Acey, don't be so upset with the assholes, huh?" He questioned, shaking Ace twice. Kiya then walked over to the two and stood beside Arc, his eyes drifting to Dib.

Zim shook his head, his body completely steaming as he burned from the rain. He wanted to bolt to the door again, but that would prove he was too weak for these other aliens. Irken's have such a strong ego, they will fight death in dangerous situations just to prove a point that they are strong, and it makes them crazy.

Dib walked up to the Akrians, the four other, less important Akrians slinking to side of the highers-ups. Zim walked up beside Dib. Both human and Irken gripped their weapons tightly, getting ready for anything.

"Alright, I don't feel like playing with you two." Ace said.

"We'll dismiss for now, but we will be back, and we will have what we want." Kiya added.

"No Kiya, don't thrive on fairy tales!" Ace snapped at the other.

"But Big Brother...what else is left to do?" Kiya asked.

"We'll think of something!" Ace snapped back.

Arc looked over at the human and the Irken, then shook his head. "These two are such a hassle to live with." He said. "Oh well, they are my brothers~" He said as he smirked kindly at the two sparring Akrians.

"No we aren't!" Ace yelled.

"Yes we are!" Kiya pipped.

"Yes, we are~" Arc sung.

"NOO!!!" Ace yelled. "You two are so annoying!!" He yelled. This created laughter from all six of the other Akrians.

Then, a huge gust of wind came, this one being extremely powerful. Dib and Zim both started to slide forward as they both closed their eyes. Dib blocked his face with his arms from the wind's debris. The wind finally settled and the two looked up, then around, to see that all of the Akrians were gone.

"Great..." Dib muttered. "Just great..."

Zim then bolted into the house, screaming. Dib ran in after him, and saw Zim brantically drying himself off with a towel in the kitchen. Dib sighed as he shut the door behind himself.

"EEEEEEEHHHEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Dib heard this loud, high-pitched, joyus screeched from upstairs.

He looked up the stairs, and the next thing he was seeing, was stars.

GIR lunged off the top of the stairs, then slammed down on Dib. Dib immediatly fell to the floor, as his glasses flew off his face, and onto the rug floor of the living room. "Wheee! Monkey!!" He yelled happily.

"Uuughh..." Dib groaned as he opened his eyes. GIR was sitting on his stomach looking down at him with his big, green eyes. "Do you have tacos, monkey?" He asked, then started giggling.

Zim, now dry aside from his clothes, walked over to the human and the robot. "Get off of him, GIR!" Zim yelled at the robot.

"But I need tacos!" GIR exclaimed as his sight shifted up to Zim.

"You had some yesterday!" Zim snapped back at the SIR Unit.

"TACOOOOS!!!" GIR whined at his master.

"FINE! I shall make you some tacos!! I will just be everyone's chef! WHY NOT?!!" He yelled, obviously annoyed.

"How did GIR recover so soon?" Dib asked Zim.

"How should I know?!" Zim snapped back. He then stared down at Dib's eyes for a moment. "Well...I guess I should ask My Tallest." He added.

Zim unleashed the communication screen fron his PAK. The transmittion opened before him, and he was looking at Purple, who sat there yawning at the screen. Purple's eyes opened slightly bigger as he realized Zim's communication line was open.

"Oh, hi Zim." Purple said, waving slightly at the screen." Umm...I finished logging all of the information into GIR, and he is now up to date on all of our information on the Akrians that we have gatheres at this point, as well as updated on other information that could prove useful....assuming he is smart enough to relay this info, anyways..." Purple said, muttering his last words as his eyes shifted from Zim to GIR, who was bouncing up and down from his seat on the floor.

"My Tallest, I thank you very much." Zim said, bowing in respect for his leader.

"Thank you, Zim." Purple said, always pleased to have an Irken be respectful. "Any how, I have put the information into GIR so he can restore your base. Bring him to your base, order him to fix the power box, and once you finish that, he can restore the base's self-repair program. Once that is functioning, your base should be up and running in only a day." Purple explained.

"How will GIR know how to fix the base's self repair program, though?" Zim asked.

Purple leaned back and shifted in his seat a little to get more comfortable as his arms crossed and he tilted his head a little."I downloaded a set of directions into him, and if he'll cooperate, he will be capable of fixing it through the wiring in your base. Since he's a robot, be can boot up the system and fix the programming. I could set him to be capable of fixing the whole base, but that would leave you without a SIR Unit for almost a whole day, and that could be dangerous in a time like this." Purple explained.

"And what of GIR's missing arm?" Zim asked.

"We can get that repaired when you get the base up and running again. We'll instruct you on how to rebuild it." Purple explained. "It's not a big deal. SIR Units loose their parts all the time." He added.

"Alright, thank you, My Tallest." Zim said.

"Yes, it's no problem." Purple said with a nod. "Now, I have more work to do, then I need to sleep and let Red take over. Later, Zim." Purple said as he started to yawn with his last two words. The communicators then shut off, and Zim recalled the transmitter back into his PAK.

"Alright, I shall now make you some tacos, GIR." Zim said.

"Yaay!" GIR cheered happily.

"Can I have some?" Dib said as he got up to his feet.

"What?!" Zim yelled. "You too?!!"

Dib walked over to his glasses. He knelt down and gripped them in his hand. "Yeah." He said as he slipped the glasses on his face. "I'm starving after having dealt with all of that." He mentioned.

"Grrr....why does EVERYONE want food now?!" Zim yelled.

"Would you rather I try to cook..?" Dib asked.

Zim thought about what happened when Dib tried to cook earlier. He thought back to the blood smudged all over Dib's hand, the scar Din has on his back, and his thoughts then traced when he slashed Dib's face. "No." Zim said simply, then walked over to the refrigerator.

"Zim..." Dib called, causing the Irken to look over at him from the fridge. "Thanks...for helping me out. Are you going to be alright?" He asked, refering to Zim's wet clothes.

"Yeah, my clothes are already drying out. They aren't even burning me, anymore." He said.

"Okay." Dib said.

"PARTY!!!" GIR screamed at Dib, who was on his knees on the floor.

Dib looked over at GIR who was dancing a little. "Uhh..." He sweat dropped as watched GIR. He let out a small sigh, then stood up. He walked over to the radio and popped in a CD. He cranked the sound on it, then walked over to GIR.

"YAAAY!!!" GIR cheered. He then started to dance. "Dance with me!" He cheered.

Dib shrugged and started dancing along with GIR. Zim looked over as he placed a pan on the stove top. He gave the two a weird look. 'Dib...he's so weird. What a weird human. What a weird SIR Unit. They are my companions through this whole mess...' Zim thought as he watched the two.

"Spikey makes a good friend!" GIR exclaimed as he spun around.

"I'm tryiii-" Dib started to say, when he tripped over his own foot and fell straight to the ground. He landed on his stomach, almost unable to stop his face from meeting the ground.

"Aww, you fall down." GIR said. He then stopped dancing to point at Dib and giggle.

Dib got up and put his hands on his hips. "Hey, everyone can be a little clutzy now and then." He said.

"I guess so." GIR said as he let his only arm drop to his side. They both stood there for a couple of minutes, then started dancing again.

'....Irk and Earth are doomed.' Zim thought as he started to get the meal prepared.

* * *

Hey, I finally updated this story! I'm sorry it took so long, guys! My friend and I both got sick with this weird virus and were out of school practically the whole week, though I went a bit more than she did, and I also found out I still have a sinus infection left over from around a month ago! Anyways, we're both feeling better, so I'll be sure to keep this story cranking again! I hope you are all enjoying it!!


	8. Tracked Then Torn

The Irken And The Earthling's War And Love  
Chapter 8  
~Tracked Then Torn~  
_[ZaDr]_

Dib, Zim, and GIR sat at the table. Zim's head rested across his arms, which were folded on the table's top. Dib leaned back in his seat, tipping his chair forward and backward as he stared up at the ceiling, his foot controlling his movements as it pressed against the table's leg. GIR sat calmly in his seat, eyes halved as he was completely full for once. They were all tired out from this insane day.

Zim then looked over at GIR, head not moving from its resting spot. "GIR, do you recall how you ended up in such a bad state?" Zim asked his companion.

GIR vigerously shook his head in response, drawing a sigh from Zim's lips. Dib gaped up at the ceiling as he tried to figure out how Ace knew he was blocking his past out. He also would like to know how they found his home. He couldn't grasp any answers to these questioned.

Zim shifted his gave to the human on his left. He figured Dib was thinking about how they found Dib's home, and Zim had a couple of ideas, but neither felt correct. He then switched his gaze over to GIR again, who was starting to fall asleep in the chair he sat in idly. Zim figured the SIR was drained from having to recover. Even robots needed to rest, so he hopped up out of his seat, and walked over to GIR.

Zim picked up GIR and took two steps towards the living room, when Dib spoke. "Bring him up to my room. I have a mattress stored in the closet, along with some pillows and blankets. You both can sleep on that mattress, this way we won't have to be seperate...just in case our Akrian friends decide to show up for another visit." Dib said.

"Thanks." Zim responded simply, and headed for the staircase to get the mattress for GIR, who was nearing sleep.

Dib then sighed, sorting out his thoughts, trying to think carefully about what to say to Zim. He wanted to figure out how the Akrians were able to do so much. He needed to know this, and without stirring up his memories. The only memories he wanted at this point, were the ones about his abduction. He knew the Irkens abducted him, but what happened to him when they did abduct him? At the same time as he wanted all of his tattered memories to dissolve. Dib's mind was frequently fighting over whether it was best to remember or to forget. To hold his ground and take the blows of the world's wrath, or to run away and hide from the world.

"Dib." Zim called.

Dib glanced over at Zim, who stood with his head and his left claw alone in vision. He leaned against the wall in the living room, his claw wrapped around the archway's framing in Dib's sight, helping to support his weight a little. "What is it?" Dib asked as he started to lightly rock his chair back and forth in a sort of rhythm, almost.

"Is there anything strange about your body?" Zim asked the human as he watched Dib's scythe-like hair slightly bob with his rocking.

"Strange..?" Dib asked, not really understanding what Zim wanted to know about.

"Anything that just seems...out of place, anything odd or different....something that seems wrong." With Zim's final words Dib applied pressure on the table's leg with his foot to tilt his chair back pretty far, his eyes locked on Zim's eyes.

He thought about anything that he may have noticed about his body. His mind shifted between recent memories and thoughts, and slowly pieced this puzzle together. 'Let's see...I know the Akrians have...somehow gotten too much information on my location for me to be comfortable. They know what bothers me, they seem to keep learning about me from some method I'm not picking up on. And the only weird thing I've noticed about my body is the weird feeling in my shoul-'

Dib's eyes widened as he recalled the time he took a shower at Zim's house. His shoulder had a weird feeling to it, like something is inside of it. Dib felt his whole body falling backwards as his foot slipped off of its resting place.

Dib along with his chair slammed on the floor. "DIB!!" Zim called out to him as he ran to Dib's side. He crouched down and lifted Dib's head, who had just barely been able to lift his head at the last seconds of his fall, preventing it from connecting with the floor. Zim checked his head anyways, checking for blood or bruises.

"...Zim..I-I think I..." Dib stuttered, a strange feeling stirring in his stomach. It felt like his stomach was being rubbed by a loving cat, on the inside. He couldn't understand this at all.

Zim was moving sections of Dib's hair around, checking for any blood that may be flowing through his jet black hair, or any bruises or cuts on his head that was hidden beneath the hair. He never really realised it, but his fingers shook slightly as he looked Dib's head over. Though he did notice the softness of Dib's hair, as his hair continued to touch his wrists, his gloves creating a barrier between his hands that were touching the human's fluffy skull. Zim sighed a little as he pulled his hands away from the human, whether he was disappointed or relieved, Dib could not tell.

Zim the put the human rag doll's head down on the floor, and stood up. "Stupid human! You could have split your head open or something!! You monkeys being so fragile." Zim scolded Dib, his normal attitude never dropping.

"Zim..." Dib said quietly, his mind kind of blitzed from the fall, and the weird feeling in his stomach previously, which he still felt slightly.

"What is it?" Zim asked as he gripped the human's hand. He pulled the human up onto his feet. Dib tripped over the chair's leg a little, Zim's hold on his hand switched quickly to his wrist, this being enough to prevent him from falling to the ground. Dib regained his balance, and Zim let go quickly.

Dib walked around the hair untill he was in back of it, where he grabbed the chair's back and pulled it up onto its legs. "I realised that there is something weird with my body..." He started to say as he placed the chair with its seat hiding under that table's top. "It's my left shoulder." He said.

Zim's mind returned to the video of Dib when he was younger. The shoulder he spoke of was the scared one. He guessed it might bring him pain, but he had to figure out what was wrong with Dib, so he decided he'd check it anyways.

"Dib, take off your coat and shirt." Zim commanded.

"...Uhh....alright." Dib said, both slightly embarrased and slightly nervous. He hadn't informed Zim that his other shoulder was stitched. Irkens seemed to be really prideful aliens, and the inflictions from Arc are deeper and longer than the inflictions from Zim. He wondered if it would anger the Irken, seeing as to how Zim would try anything to hurt Dib in the past, his mind temporarily pushing aside the fact that they were on the same side currently.

Dib slipped one arm through its perfectly fitting sleeve. He then pulled his other arm through the other sleeve, and he placed it on the back of the chair he had previously fallen from. He then swallowed as he started to take his apethetic, blue short-sleeved shirt off. He pulled it over his head, and it came off his body, revealing to Zim, who stood behind Dib as he placed the shirt on the chair, one scared shoulder and another stitched one.

Zim stared at the human's back side amazed as Dib tilted his head back to just slightly look at Zim. Zim's eyes traced the scar over repetatively. It looked a lot bigger in person than it did on Dib's outdated, small television. He wondered how a fragile human could endure something like this and live. Irkens did not scar easilly, so only a close to fatal attack could lead to something like this. Zim staring eyes then shifted from the scar to his stitches, causing his antennas and shoulders to droop.

"What are those?" Zim asked sternly, pointing to Dib's right shoulder with his Irken arm completely straight out.

Dib flinched as he asked. 'Damn...what do I say?' His mind asked. His teeth gritted behind his locked lips as he turned around slowly to face Zim. Zim's outstretched finger followed Dib's movements as it never lost its locked-on pointing to Dib's shoulder. "Uhh....I cut it on a fork." Dib said nervously, unable to think of anything better than a stupid, skinny, thin little fork.

One of Zim's eyes halved as he stared at Dib, his arm dropping to his side. "Tell me human, was this a super fork?" He asked, slightly taking a silent crack at super toast.

"It....it..." His mind sped through a thousand excuses, and here's the best one he could find. "It was an Irken fork!" He said.

"An Irken fork?" Zim asked. "Oh, brilliant Dib. What a brilliant lie, considering Irkens don't even use forks!" He yelled at the human. "Now spit out the truth, Dib!"

Dib sighed as he hung his head. "...Arc slashed me." He muttered. "When I protected Gaz, he attacked me." He said.

"Why wouldn't you tell me this?" Zim asked as his arms crossed.

Dib shook his head. "These inflictions are worse than your's were." He said simply, hoping Zim would get the gist of what he was saying.

And the Irken did. "So you thought I'd be upset by their longer claws, huh?" He asked. Dib just nodded in response. "Well I'm not. Size doesn't matter, the damage and the sharpness does." Zim said. "Besides, Irkens are better anyways." He added in quickly. "No matter if Irkens are peaceful or war prepared, their better."

"Peaceful..?" Dib asked.

"Nevermind." Zim said. "Anyways, let me see that shoulder." He said, refering to the original reason as to why Dib was currently topless.

Zim walked up to Dib, and placed his clawed hand over Dib's left shoulder. He squeezed the soft skin, pushing his palm down as his fingers and thumb applied pressure as well. He felt a strange hard spot on the shoulder with his palm, making his head tilt to the side slightly. He then released the shoulder with his hand, brought two of his fingers together, then pressed them firectly on the strange feeling. He found this feeling to be out of place, like Dib had.

"Okay, this is weird. Your skin here should be soft, for sure. Hold on..." Zim then unleashed the four Spider Legs his PAK held. Two of the Spider Legs clutched Dib's upper arms, making him jump.

"What are you doing?!" Dib yelled at Zim.

Then, one of the Spider Legs came within his reach. It gripped a strange green cylinder that looked to be made of of something metalic, and it had a short, fat cylinder sitting on top of it. Zim grabbed it, and the Spider Leg then gripped one of Dib's arms, his fourth Spider Leg then gripping Dib's other arm.

Zim then held up the strange object, which now looked like it was a handle of some sort. Out of the fat cylinder-like end came forth a bright blue light, like a blow torch it blazed and sparked. Dib instinctively started to move his feet in a backwards walk, but he found his feet only slide forward as the Spider Legs held him completely in place. He had no idea what Zim was planing, but the only word running through his mind was "torture".

Zim on the other hand gave him an unamused look. He couldn't even find joy in the boy being afraid of something so simple. "Zim, don't do this!!" Dib exclaimed as his hands gripped two of the Spider Legs. He started to frantically try to pull the legs off of him, but his hands mearly slid uselessly down the slick metal.

Zim shook his head at the human. He then held up the strange, glowing flame to Dib's left shoulder, Dib shinking as the flaming object neared his skin. Zim then had it hovering over the boy's skin, Dib's eyes were huge as he felt terrified.

Zim had no words of comfort for the human, he instead offered information. "This may feel a bit uncomfortable at first, it does for Irkens. Seeing as to how you are a human though, it may have other affects, but it's non-lethal." He said.

Dib felt sweat slip down the side of his face. He was still nervous, but he started to figure that maybe Zim was right. 'Maybe...Zim's telling me the truth. Since we've been fighting the Akrians, he hasn't hurt me unless he absolutely had to. He's fought alongside me, and he even healed up one of my wounds. Maybe, just maybe, I can trust him, at least a little.'

Dib took a deep breath as his eyes closed. "Alright." He said to the grim Invader in front of him.

Zim then, easilly, turned the flame so it aimed down at Dib's shoulder. He then, at a slow pace, brought it down towards the skin. Dib's closed eyes grew tighter as the flame neared the strange feeling skin. Zim then actually started to bring this flame INSIDE of Dib's skin. To Dib, it felt like he was having a hard time swollowing food...in his shoulder. Dib's eyes snapped open as he felt it starte to slowly seep into his skin. His head jerked towards this bizzare phenomenon that Zim was producing, his eyes tracing his shoulder in shock.

The flame was going deeper inside. Where the flame was located inside of Dib's skin, you could see that all of his normal skin was now a pure white color. But, as Zim pushed this light further inside, you could finally see that there was a strange dark area. "I knew it." Zim said.

"Wha...what is it?" Dib asked as his eyes traced the square-shaped shadow that contrasted the white color of his normal skin.

"Well, since they can locate you so easilly, and since this obviously not normal for your body, then this means that whatever that thing is it was implanted in you by the Akrians." Zim explained.

Dib's pupils dialated as Zim pulled the light out of Dib. He then let his Spider Legs release Dib. Dib stood there as he watched the light on the green handle disappear. One of the Spider Legs then gripped it and brought it back into the PAK, but the spider leg then returned to a relaxed location, all four still outside of the PAK.

"Zim..." Dib called to the Irken.

"What is it?" Zim asked in response as he looked at Dib's dialated pupils, wondering why they were so large.

"....Get it out...." Dib said so quietly, it was barely even a whisper.

"What?" Zim asked the human.

"....Get this thing out of me...." Dib said, his eyes screaming that he was freaked out by this.

Zim gritted his sharp teeth together as he remembered that his trusted base was currently out of commission. Since his base was missing, he could not use his Irken equiptment to knock out Dib and remove it with ease. "I can't Dib, not without my base." He said.

Dib's pupils started to become smaller in size as he stared at Zim. "...Zim, get rid of whatever the hell is inside of it, NOW." He said, his voice not angry, but more frightened and frantic than anything.

"Dib...the only way I could take it out right now is if I stabbed something into your skin to force it out." Zim explained, hoping that this would make Dib reject the idea. He really didn't want to do that, he was able to do it with ease in reality, but he would rather take it out properly. 'I don't want to cause Dib anymore pain...' Zim thought as his eyes traced the stitches of Dib's face. He thought back to the beating he gave Dib, and all of the stuff he knew about that had happened to Dib, and he was really starting to feel a slight bit...bad about it all. But why? He's only a mear human...but he did have to keep Dib around to defeat the Akrians, so he concluded in his mind that he was only pittying the human, and only slightly.

"Do it!" Dib yelled. His mind was caught in the tourture chamber he was being shocked in by the Akrians. He was scared of going through that again. He couldn't bear being caught by the Akrians again and going through that again.

"Dib..." Zim started, his eyes skidding across Dib's eyes, and over to a hovering Spider Leg towards the left of Dib a little. "I don't want to soil my hands with your filthy human bloo-"

Dib's whole body wracked as he suddenly snapped. "JUST SHUT UP AND GET THIS DAMN THING OUT OF ME NOW, ZIM!!!!!!" Dib screamed violently.

Zim flinched, then slouched as his eyes squinted slightly. He then straightened up as he improved his body language. He then chose one of the hovering Spider Legs, then he positioned it carefully, making sure it's pointed, clawed tip was currently over the place where the foreign object was located. Dib closed his eyes tightly, both he, and Zim, felt nervous over this situation.

Zim then thrust the Spider Leg towards the point where the square was located. Dib threw his head back and screamed loudly as the Spider Leg's clawed tip pierced the soft skin. Zim pushed it in further, forcing its way into Dib's shoulder untill the tip's point connected with the object.

"This is going to hurt more!!" Zim yelled at the still screaming Dib.

The clawed tip then opened up starting from the point. It turned from a pointed tip into a metal claw with four points. This made Dib cut his screaming off and make a strange chocking sound, like a Smeet would make when crying for a meal, then his screaming started up again. The claw then slipped forward a bit more, gripped the square object in Dib's skin, and pulled it out so fast, Dib felt like his shoulder was whipped hard. The claw released the object in mid air and it fell, then clattered to the floor.

Dib stopped screaming and reverted to groaning in pain. He looked down at his shoulder, and saw that about a three inch wide, and sort of deep hole had been embedded into it, right in the middle of the top part of the huge scar that was embedded into Dib's skin forever. 'By the time I'm thirty, my entire body will be a beat up butcher block!' His mind yelped.

Zim walked up to Zim until he stood directly in front of the human. He lightly placed his hand on Dib's now wounded shoulder, his eyes shifting from the now rapidly bleeding hole, to the slashes on his other shoulder, then back to his new wound. He then looked up into Dib's eyes, and shook his head. "You're a mess, aren't you?" He asked, a sly grin tugging at his Irken lips.

Dib hung his head in shame. "...It hurts...." He allowed himself to say, though he really didn't want to. 'I can't take this...' His mind said.

"Stupid Dib." Zim said, laughing a little as one of his Spider Legs retracted, then came sprung forth with the Irken medicine in its grip.

Dib stayed quiet, his eyes tearing up as his head hung limply. '...I have no choice but to rely on my own enemy...and for some reason, I never refuse his help....'

Zim snapped the cover off and started shaking the can quickly. "You need to learn to take better care of yourself, Dib. None of this is good for your weak body, you should know." His voice, kind and relaxed for once, explained to the human as he continued to shake the can's substance up.

A tear silently splattered onto the glass that was held tightly in place by its framing on Dib's face. '...I'm too weak, and I can't take care of myself....is that how it is..?' His mind wondered.

-

_"GO TO HELL, DIB!!! You pathetic, worthless HUMAN! You do nothing but betray and lie to me!! NOTHING ASIDE FROM HATE ME!!! If I EVER come back, I will beat you down until NOTHING remains!!! NOTHING!!!"_

-

Zackery's words sprang up into Dib's mind. Those were some of the last words he heard from Zack, right before he and Rosey disappeared. He remembered how angry Zackery was with him.

Dib then jerked his head up to Zim, and his hand shot out to grasp Zim's wrist. As soon as Dib gripped Zim's wrist, he stopped shaking the can. Dib then released the wrist and grabbed the can, pulling it out of Zim's hand.

"What are you doing?" Zim asked Dib, who shook the bottle only a little bit more, then sprayed some of the liquid onto his skin, hissing a bit as his eye twitched in response to the purple liquid hitting the wound. He then shoved the spray can towards Zim.

Zim grabbed the can and popped the cap back on it as he watched Dib turn to the chair. He took a couple of steps closer to it, then pulled it out to grasp his blue shirt. He looked down at his wound to make sure it had stopped bleeding, which it had. He grabbed his coat, then pushed the chair back in and walked over to the counter, reaching up to grab a sheet of paper towel, and then pressed it against his skin to absorb some of the blood that had surfaced. Zim just stared at him with confusion.

"Dib? What's the problem..?" He asked slowly. 'He didn't act this way when I healed his hand....what a weird human...' Zim's curious Irken mind wondered.

Dib sighed as he tossed the red and white paper into the trash bin a couple of feet away from him. He then turned towards Zim. "I can take care of myself." He said with stern eyes.

Zim tilted his head to the side a little. "Did I say you couldn't?" He asked Dib, one eye halving in further confusion.

Dib shook his head, the shaking slowing to a stop as his head lowered. "Then...tell me why I keep feeling pain." Dib said quietly. He then jerked his head up to lock eyes with Zim. "Why do I keep getting hurt, Zim? Since you seem to know everything." He scoffed.

Zim blinked hard, then gave an annoyed huff to the human, as his hands fisted and landed against his hips. "It's because you're a fragile human, you big-headed moron." He said. "Look, I'll do what I can for you Dib, it doesn't make you weak. You are caught in a bad situation, but you aren't weak, in fact, you're important, okay?" Zim said. "Now, wipe that pathetic look off your face, and if you start this crap again, I'l beat it out of you. You better believe I will, too." Zim finished, eyes serious.

Dib took a deep breath, looked up at Zim, then nodded. Zim then gave a quicki nod in return, and headed towards the stairs, his Spider Legs retracting into his PAK as he walked passed Dib. "Where are you going?" Dib asked as he watched Zim's PAK move side to side with Zim's movements.

Zim stopped dead in his tracks, then leaned backwards, his head turning as he did this to look at Dib. "I'm going to sleep, alright?" He said calmly to the human. He started to head upstairs again.

Dib yawned, making Zim stop midway on the stairs and look over at the human. He then shook his head and continued his way up.

Dib then looked down at the shirt and coat that hung from his hand loosely. His eyes dropped to the floor, to where the strange square had fallen, and saw it was missing. 'That's strange...' His growing weary mind thought. He then shrugged and headed upstairs to go sleep as well, deciding not to let it bother him.

He walked into his room and saw GIR sleeping on the mattress laid across the floor. Zim on the other hand sat at Dib's computer desk as he poked the weird square with a gloved clawed finger. Dib cocked his eyebrow at Zim, both wondering what it was, and wondering when Zim snagged it off the ground.

'This...odd bit of Akrian technology appears to function without the need of a host, so it's not like an Irken tracking device at all.' Zim though, his long, thin Irken tounge slipping out, then across his lips so quickly, Dib almost couldn't see this action at all. 'But...it appears to work that way, so perhaps figuring out how to destroy this bizzare equipment will bring us a step closer to bringing them down...' He thought.

Zim then looked up at the now hovering-over-his-shoulder Dib. This caused Zim to jerk to his left slightly, he never liked being snuck up on from behind. "What do you want?!" Zim snapped at Dib defensively, though somewhat quietly in respect for the sleeping GIR.

"What is it?" Dib asked Zim.

Zim looked down at the square before him. "It appears to be an Akrian tracking device. This is why the Akrians knew your location at all times. They must have implanted this in you...probably around the time you were taken by them." Zim explained.

"T-Tracking device?!" Dib exclaimed, receiving a nod from Zim.

"Hmm...yes. It is still functioning too, so we need to stop it. If we can destroy it, it will help us get a better idea of how to go about destroying the Akrians." Zim explained, the thumb and first claw of his right hand picking up the object. It shined in the dim light that crept in through the shades of Dib's window, the lights being a combination of the almost set sun that still shined through the rain clouds, and the street lights.

"What do you think can do the job?" Dib asked calmly, sniffling a bit.

"I'm not sure...I think The Tallest would be best to confront about this issue, really. I'll talk to them about it tommorrow." Zim stated, eyeing the square strangely.

"What will you do with it in the mean time?" Dib asked.

"Hmm...I think I shall store it in my Organ Harvester, actually..." Zim stated, his PAK opening and a Spider Leg coming forth with the Organ Harvester in its clutches. Zim took the Organ Hravester's top off, placed the Akrians tracking device on the Organ Harvester's platter, and replaced the top in its rightful location once again. He then let the Spider Leg retract into the PAK, the Organ Harvester going with. The PAK shut, and Dib could only stare at the strange alien before him.

Zim looked up at the staring Dib, then gave him an annoyed leer in response. "What?! Putrid human..." Zim graveled.

"You Irkens...you contradict yourselves so much..." Dib said as he started to near his bed.

"What?" Zim asked Dib.

"Oh, that's right, I need to read more E-mails." Dib said, swiftly turning towards his computer from his location near the bed. He then walked over and stood beside Zim, who still sat in the chair.

"How do Irkens contradict themselves?" Zim asked.

"You do in plenty of ways." Dib explained as his finger pushed the power button on the computer's monitor.

Zim crossed his arms as he pouted slightly. "How?" He asked slowly, trying to get the human to explain himself, and getting slightly frustrated.

"You can't stand anything grotesque to the point that it makes you feel sick, yet you yourself can be quite grotesque and you don't even blink twice at it." Dib said.

Zim thought about this for a minute. "Well, I can admit this. I felt disgusting when I had to have all of those human organs in me....it took two weeks for me to recover fully from that, actually..." Zim said, his claws gliding back and forth across his green head, thoughtfully.

"Really..?" Dib asked, wondering what did happen with Zim at the time. He was too busy attempting to contact his father at the time from the inside of a locked cell. He needed his father to clear the whole mess up, and if he hadn't, Dib would have had an autopsy done, just to find he was missing one organ. He rapidly shook his head at the thought, Zim watching the scythe spike bounce along with Dib's head untill he stopped.

"I was pretty exausted, but thanks to Irken technology, I recovered well from that." Zim said. "Irken technology is so much better than your pathetic human technology." He added with a small smirk.

Dib gave him a bored look, but then looked from Zim, to the computer chair he sat on, to the computer screen, and back to Zim. "Move over." Dib said.

"Huh?" Zim asked, not understanding what Dib wanted.

Dib quickly rolled his eyes, then sat down on the very edge of the seat Zim sat on. He then pushed his back, which faced Zim, into Zim's shoulder and hip, making Zim slide over on the seat and allowing Dib to share some of the space with Zim. Zim didn't quite understand this, but he didn't care much and let the boy stay there.

Dib gripped the mouse and opened up his E-mail. He looked over the list, showing he had two new E-mails, one of which he never got the chance to look over earlier. He clicked the one from earlier, surprised to see it was from Agent Shiny Locket. She's the younger sister of Agent Tuna Ghost, and she's extrodinary when it comes to solving things.

"Agent Mothman! I have 12 functioning Spell Drives, and I'm running on 4 cups of coffee!! So, I checked one of these spells out, and it teleported an Akrian from...where ever he was, and he fell on the floor before me! I was shocked out of my MIND, man! So I got up and kicked him in the head, he slashed me and scratched up my new shoes, and I was so mad I picked up a Spell Drive with 504 points left on it, and slammed it down on his head! He then got up and slashed me, wich made me drop the Spell Drive and I started to bleed, so I kicked him in the stomach, and he curled over! But then he stepped on my foot and told me I was annoying! Can you believe that? He recovered so quickly...then he took off out of my house, and the wind carried him away. Guess he wasn't expecting THAT, now was he?! This proves that the Akrians don't know everything~

Love,  
Shiny**Lockets**Are**Best*****SEN!

PS: The Spell Drive I hit him with is fine! Yay!"

Dib smirked as he leaned back against Zim, who had read the E-mail in half the time Dib did. "So, Shiny Locket knows they aren't invincible...well, that's good to know." Dib said. 'So this means The Heart must have something to do with knowing how to kill the Akrians...maybe it's the ultimate key to killing them. I'm, not sure, though.' He thought.

Dib then returned to the main screen, and opened up the other E-mail. This was from Agent PainfulSpork.

"I'm sorry about your sister ending up in the hospital, Agent Mothman. I hope she recovers soon. Anyways, about that which you told me, I've been looking into it. I have theories, but they're only theories and I need solid leads on it, so just give me a couple of days, and I may get something useful. I also have realised that either they are genderless, or only have males in their society. Have you seen any Akrians that even seem remotely similar to being female? All I see are males. Anyways, I hope you bring some information to me soon.

Painful~Spork~Of~~~S~~E~~N~~~DOOM!"

Dib looked over to Zim, their faces now becoming so close that they were only inches apart. "Zim, have you?" Dib asked the Irken.

"No." Zim said, resisting the urge to shake his head, so the human's head wouldn't collide with his own.

"Neither have I...maybe they are genderless..?" Dib questioned. He thought back to Tak, recalling how she had long, glowing purple eyes lined with curly eyelashes and she had curled anntenas, these changes giving her a much more feminine appearance than Zim. Zim also had a more male voice than she did, though he remembered the accent...

Dib's thoughts went to the Akrians then. He recalled all of them having slight differences, like seperate Irkens and humans had, but nothing stood out as feminine. 'The voices were all creepy and low pitched, and they appeared male...so what about females? Perhaps they are genderless?' Dib wondered.

"Dib." Zim pipped, causing Dib's thoughts to stop. "We...we should go to sleep now." He said. In reality, Zim wanted to ask Dib something...something he couldn't ask. Something he never even wanted in the first place. He shook the thought away though, figuring he was getting soft.

"Okay." Dib said. He was about to hop up off of the chair, when he suddenly felt Zim's claw grip his shoulder.

'I can't ask something like that....but, I can attempt to get along with him, anyways.' Zim thought, his grip tightening on Dib's shoulder, releasing a bit of pressure, then applying more pressure again.

Dib just stared at Zim with confused, curious eyes. "What is it, Zim..?" He asked.

Zim took in, then let out, a quick breath. "I...I just wanted to tell you that that wound should heal fully." Zim said, trying to slip out of Dib's curiosity. He then started to stand.

Dib's hands then grabbed Zim's sholder, pulling his weight down onto the chair as he prohibited Zim from leaving his side. Zim shot an akward look to Dib, not understanding what the human wanted, and feeling a bit odd.

"Zim...thanks, for everything." Dib said. "I was really out of it, and you took the time to help me. You won't regret it." He finished, feeling a tab bit better about himself as he released the words.

Dib then stood up, taking his coat off and tossing it into the laundry basket. He then walked over to his closet, and opened the door. He reached inside and grabbed some night clothes, Zim just watching him mindlessly as he though about his base and contacting The Almighty Tallest about it again. Dib made his way over to the door leading to the hallway. "I'll take a shower then sleep. You should just sleep now, Zim." Dib said.

"Alright." Zim responded. He then stood up and walked over to the mattress GIR slept on, Dib leaving the room and closing the door behind himself.

Zim laid down beside GIR. He was in between Dib's bed and GIR, and he was laying on his side, facing Dib's bed. The PAK made Irkens sleep on their sides, aside from some who slep on their backs, and they always have some sort of protection as they sleep. Zim was currently using GIR to protect his PAK, since an Irken's PAK was their lifeline. Ten minutes without it, and they die.

Zim thought about how he wanted to ask Dib. He thought back to all the times they fought, yet...how much he enjoyed spending time sparring with Dib. He let himself, in the darkness of the room, smile a big smile at the times he spent with Dib. Though they were enemies, he found Dib fun to be around. He wanted to know, and maybe, just maybe, he could ask Dib that question someday.

'Maybe I will...right now, I'm not going to bother. We have much to do. When this mess clears up, then, and only then, will I ask Dib. And I will ask at that time. For now, it's much more important to focus on destroying the Akrians. For now...' Zim then felt his eyes become so heavy, he drifted off into slumber before Dib returned from his shower.

~The Next Morning, Dib's House, 28 Days Remain~

Dib opened his burnt orange eyes slowly. His vision focused as he stared up at the blue ceiling of his room. He then slowly sat up and turned his head to his left. On the floor where Zim and GIR previously slept, was only the blue rug flooring of his room. He saw no green or white blurs below him, on the the fuzzy slur of blue that filled the floor fully.

Dib reached over to the nightstand that had been standing just a couple of feet away from where Zim's pillow had laid. He grasped his glasses in his hand, knowing exactly the location in which he had placed them, and he slipped them on his face, looking around to be sure Zim wasn't here. He let his head slowly droop as he only just realised his alarm clock was buzzing.

Dib lazily slammed his hand down on the button on top, turning the alarm off. He left his hand to stay there limply, his ruffled hair sliding over his face a bit as he wondered how much longer Gaz would have to be hospitalized for. He missed his sister, reguardless of how much she glares at him or gets him in trouble. She was there, and she kept him from feeling completely alone....as did Zim when he and GIR were here. His hair continiued to inch further down his face, untill his eyes bugged.

"I COMPLETELY FORGOT!!!" He screamed to the hollow, empty house as his head jerked up. "Gaz!! Her birthday is only in three days!!" He yelled. 'That's why she wanted to go to Bloaty's this Friday! DAMMIT!!! I can't do anything for her now...she's comatose...' With a sigh, Dib got up off of his bed to prepare for Skool.

~Zim's Home~

Zim and GIR were currently on the first basement floor of the base. The floor where the computers for normal controlls were located, where some Irken accomidations were, and where GIR was dismantled. Zim knelt beside GIR as his hands clicked away on Dib's laptop, which he stole and hoped Dib wouldn't realise this. GIR's arm was attached to the power box. The huge communication screen Zim only occasionally whipped out was in use. It was projected through an odd, white, little pyramid prism. The projection was huge as it covered the entire wall to Zim's right. It was tinted an icy bright blue, and the picture was washed out, translucent, but Zim ignored that. Both Purple and Red sat in their chairs, still in the Defense Sector, and they commanded Zim on how to restore power to his base.

After a long time working, he had finally completed the restoration of the Self Repair System. Zim bowed and thanked his Tallest, who disconnected from the transmission since they had a meeting to attend, and Zim had to go to stupid Skool. He stood up, glad the rain was gone. It had been gone since late last night, and today, Zim knew what he needed to do. His smirk couldn't drop for anything as he made his way for the Irken Kitchen, which he was extremely glad to have here. He wasn't going to bother building his body's defenses against the human's food today by consuming it, oh hell no. He wanted REAL food for this morning, and he would need it.

He walked into the kitchen, GIR happily following him. GIR enjoyed any food, so long as he liked the taste, and there were plenty of human, as well as Irken foods he liked. Zim opened a huge, red box by its sliding top, the top sliding back against the wall. The box stood at about his own height, it was just slightly shorter than him. Inside of this box was a bizzare light red foamish-looking substance that completely covered all of the walls and the bottom of the box he peered inside of. Against the foam were plenty of various Irken foods.

Zim reached a claw inside, the red foam releasing a freezing cold that the Irken felt calming, like home. He gripped a weird feeling paper bag, and pulled this out. It had some weight to it, and the brown bag bulged slightly. He placed this bag on the counter beside him.

"You like Quichi, right GIR?" Zim asked the robot, who still was missing an arm.

"Yeah!" GIR responded happily with a smile. "It's great!"

He then reached in again, and gripped a strange container shaped exactly like an eight, and it was filled with red liquid. He then slid the red box cover back into place, and he walked over to a cabinent. Every cabinent door was marked with the Irken's symbol. He opened it, and reached inside. His claw wrapped around a big, really fat glass container. This glass was a type of Irken glass, much stronger than Earth's glass.

In this container, Zim observed as he pulled it out, were small, green spheres. "I have't had one of these in so long...do you think I should try one again, even though the affects-"

GIR excitedly cut Zim off. "Do it! Do it!" He cheered.

Zim shrugged. "Alright, why not?" Zim said, remembering how tasty these treats were. He opened the container's top, grabbed a green sphere and felt how soft it was. He then popped it into his mouth and started to chew it with his razor sharp Irken fangs as he replaced the cover onto the container. The taste of this treat really brought back memories of Zim's older days, were he was still living on Irk. When he finishes this war with the Akrians, he planned to return to Irk for a while, because he missed his old home. He remembered the training there for the first years of his life, and he found it to be so much fun. He remembered so much...

~Flash Back~

_"Gozza! I think I'm improving on my ship manuvering!" A young, Smeet Zim exclaimed to a taller Irken, who at the time, was one of his teachers. Zim at this point in time was growing near his current height, but he was still much shorter than he is today._

_"I know, your abilities behind the controls of an aircraft are absolutely astounding! You're making much progress, young Smeet." Gozza said to Zim, who smiled at his words._

_"I'll keep working hard!" He cheered as he made his way to another smeet._

_Zim, a few teachers, and a lot of Smeet were oustide in a beautiful, foreign landscape. He was in a beautiful meadow, where very different, bizzare life forms filled the area. The ground was compiled of soil that was so dark brown, it looked black. Growing from the ground was not green, but a bright, blazing blue colored grass. Each blade of grass was shaped more rounded than our grass, and the grass was skinnier, thicker, and they kept the grass cropped higher than our grass._

_Irkens are very clean creatures, so after many years of battling, they have come to capture and tame all of the insects and arrachnids on their planet. The insects and arrachnids are now in specially focused areas, and kept inside of plentiful landscapes where they are cared for well by certain Irkens assigned to work in these areas. These areas have forcefields that only Irken blood can slip in and out of._

_Animals and plants are another story, since they both serve the enviromnet well, they are the food source of the Irkens, and Irkens actually love plants and animals, though they don't really talk about it too much. Irk was filled with plenty of strange things compared to Earth, but all of these things, in their own way, kind of have similarities to Earth's, and vice versa._

_Zim arrived at the other smeet's side, who held a black tree branch in his hand and sung it back and forth in the air. He then stopped as his anntenas picked up on Zim's presence, this being something hard for smeet do do untill they reach around their 40's (which in Irken years equals about four years old, and at this point in time, these smeet are about 10-20 years old)._

_This smeet then stopped swinging the banch, and turned to face Zim, who held a long (compared to himself), red branch. "Want to spar, Kali?" Zim asked the shorter, female smeet._

_"Yeah!" Kali responded, holding her stick up to Zim._

_Zim held his stick up, then brought it down at a diagonal slash. Kali dodged this, and slammed her stick into Zim's shoulder horizontally, crouching a bit as she did so. Zim then did a quick roll forward, stood quickly, and as he stood he swung his stick up and hit the younger smeet in the face with his stick._

_"Uwaaah!!!" He yelled, covering her face with her claw. "That hurt, Zim!" She whined at the younger Zim._

_Zim on the other hand smirked. "FEAR MY AWESOME POWER!!!" He screamed._

_"Your awesome power to have a chat with the Disciplinary Irken Mikk." A different teacher than Gozza said as he loomed over Zim's shoulder._

_Zim turned around to look up at the Irken who was fuming as he tapped his foot on the grassy ground. Zim hung his head as he followed the taller Irken in front of him, his hand swiftly releasing the stick as he walked._

~End Flash Back~

Zim smirked. 'Good times....it wasn't hard to sneak out of the disciplinary office at all.' He thought, his smirk growing into a toothy smile.

Zim placed the container of green treats back into the cabinet, and closed the door that lead inside. He then walked over to the part of the counter where he had left the bag and the red liquid. He opened the bag, reached his claw in, and pulled out a pink, round, hard food item that was almost too big and too heavy for him to hold. He grabbed the now empty bag, and tossed it into the trash barrel across the room, which sucked it down a pipe at the bottom of the barrel, this pipe leading down beneath the floor.

Zim now had the pink object in both hands. He hit it against the counter about 5 times, before he heard a loud crack. He smiled a little as he gave it another slam against the counter, the crack spreaking across the pink food item. GIR excitedly smiled and leaned forward a little as Zim smacked it against the counter one more time, and it suddenly shattered through his hands. What came out from the inside were three translucent, puple spheres filled with a dark puple liquidy-type substance, though it seemed as though it had structure. These sphere could easilly fit into someones mouth.

Zim grabbed a sphere and tossed it to GIR, who jumpped to the side and caught it directly in his mouth. Zim could hear a pop sound just after GIR caught it. He then grabbed a sphere and pushed it into his own mouth. He chomped down on it, and the translucent sphere popped. He was now chewing the true part or it. The dark puple, liquidy part that actually had a soft structure in which could be chewed for hours on end. This was like an Irken gum, one in which you could chew the entire day an never loose the flavor, and one that could be eaten at anytime since it is edible.

Zim looked down at the last piece of this Irken snack. He unleashed a Spider Leg from his PAK, and it came forth and clutched the snack, then the Spider Leg retracted. Zim grabbed a big chunk of the pink casing to the Irken gum. He looked at its inside parts, which were lined with a fluffy white substance. He drew his finger across the fluffiness, and then flickered his toung across his finger quickly, completely cleaning it in seconds. He swallowed the white fluffy food around the gum. "It's good, here GIR." Zim said to his companion as he handed the pink chunk in his hand to the SIR Unit.

"I like this." GIR said, then started to eat the fluffy substance.

Zim turned to the 8 shaped container of red liquid. He grabbed it, then walked over to another cabinet, opened it, and pulled out a cup. He shut the cabinet door, placed the cup on the counter in front of him, and poured a bit of the liquid into it. He then made sure the cover was tight on the container, and unleashed a Spider Leg, which took the container into his PAK quickly. He then picked up the cup, walked over to GIR, and placed the cup on the table for him, since he couldn't hold more than one thing at a time.

"So there you have it. Once again, Zim takes care of you. I'll get your arm fixed soon GIR, just sit tight." He said. "I have to go..." He glanced up at the clock. "And now!" Zim stressed the "now" a bit. He then took off for the ledge.

~A Bit Later, Skool~

Dib walked into the classroom and over to his seat. He looked around the room and saw nobody else was here yet. His eyes then made their way to the clock, and saw he had come a bit early, but he was alright with this since he's done it countless times, and it's better than arriving late.

Dib sat down, placing his backpack on top of the desk, then leaning back in his seat. He stared up at the ceiling. 'I should stop by the mall, see if I cand find anything for Gaz. This is horrible, I was going to go buy something for her a day ago, but with all of the stuff happening lately, I didn't even remember at all.' He sighed as he let these thoughts drift through his mind.

"Dib!" He jumped just slightly at the sound of Zim's voice. He looked up to see Zim walk into the room. "I'm glad you came early." He added in as his arms crossed.

Dib stood up and walked over to Zim. Zim stood there staring at him intensely. "What are we going to do today, about the Akrians?" Dib asked.

"Well, early this morning I left, it was about two in the morning. I I went to my home and now it's restoring itself with the self repair program. As I fixed the self repair program, I contacted The Tallest. I asked them about that tracking device, and they say some of the Irkens had them attached to their skin. They destroyed them with...fire, actually." Zim explained, his claws tapping impatiently on his arm.

"Fire, huh? That's odd..." Dib said. Zim nodded.

Dib then returned to his seat, and Zim sat down in his own. Zim continued to tap his claws, not on his arm, but on the desk as his arms uncrossed. Dib watched him, wondering if it was just him, or if Zim was really fidgity. He shrugged as he unzipped the biggest pouch of his pack. He pulled out a book about paranormal activity in England, his bored mind being entertained by what he read.

Zim on the other hand had NO patience what-so-ever. He was ready to charge out the door and find those Akrians, so he could kick their asses. He was...what a human would call hyper. He seriously couldn't sit still, his foot and fingers continued to move, unable to stop himself. Zim was hyper because of the green sphere he consumed earlier.

Soon, the other kids started to pile into the room in their miniature herds that they usually clung to as they entered. Dib ignored them and the hyped up Zim, unaware that Zim was hyper even, and his eyes just continued to scan each and every word of this book, letting it take him away from the madness as of late.

Zim smirked as Miss Bitters walked into the room. He really wanted to piss her off, his mind swapping from being honorable to being mischevious. He glanced over to Dib, then focused on the teacher as she opened a book. 'Maybe it would be fun to get him in trouble...'

Zim looked over at Dib again, seeing Dib peek up at him from the book he was reading. Zim then smirked maliciously as he spoke. "Dib said a swear." Zim announced, though all the human was doing was sitting in his seat.

Dib cocked an eyebrow, feeling that senation he would normally feel just before he and Zim quarreled. He liked it, and even with such a small, pointless quarrel, it helped head his mind a bit from all of the chaos lately. "No I didn't Zim." He said in his calm, relaxed voice.

"Oh, I think you did, Dib. I think you did." Zim said, his hand slipping into his pocket.

"Whatever." Dib said. He was actually curious as to what Zim would do, but he didn't want to show it.

Suddenly, Zim whipped a strange object at Dib. This object had a pointed tip, the back was flat, and it was long. The tip was silver, and this was attached to the flat part of it, which was fat and black. The entire thing wasn't that big or noticable, but Dib certainly felt it as this object's point was impaled into his neck.

"What the hell??!!!" He yelled as he felt just a hard, tight pinch from the contact between his skin and the object. He then gripped the black end piece and tugged at it, finding this object was stuck. "What IS this, Zim?!" He yelled at the Irken.

Zim mearly laughed at Dib, completely calm. "Whatever could you mean, Dib? I have done nothing." He said, knowing all of the other humans were very dense and would just believe him no matter what he said.

Miss Bitters, however, slithered over to Dib's desk. She slammed her hand down on it, and hissed at him. "I think...it would be a lot more fun to send you to the Underground Classrooms, rather than deal with you here." She viciously said to him.

"The...The Underground Classrooms?!!" Dib exclaimed. "No! Please Miss Bitters, not that!!" He yelled.

Dib always figured that the Underground Classrooms weren't real, so the thought of being sent down scared him. She slithered over to her desk, and opened the drawer to her left. Inside was a keyboard-like object, with red buttons for each and every seat. She placed her finger against the button for Dib's seat. "Any last words, Dib?" She asked the boy.

Dib sighed and let his head hang as he shook it. Zim was currently bitting his own lip, feeling a bit guilty for letting this happen without even meaning to. He just wanted to earn Dib a detention, not send him to who knows where. His eyes locked onto the bizzare object still embedded into his neck for a couple of seconds, glad he had tossed the strange object at the human.

Miss Bitters then pressed the button, and the tiles Dib's desk stood on released as a large square. This newfound platform composed of tiles went down at a medium pace. They moved down, bringing Dib, his desk, and his backpack which sat on the desk, down with him. The desk suddenly tiped over so much, that the backpack slid off and started to fall down, and then Dib felt himself slide over untill nothing was beneath him. The desk with the tiles it sat atop then started to rise up untill no light shined down onto Dib anymore. He continued to fall, his voice not meeting the world around himself as this happened. He just kept falling down into the depths of the school's basement, or that which appeared that way. His entire body was covered in darkness, as all he could see was black hues, as he continued to feel himself fall downwards...

* * *

Hey guys, I would have had this chapter up yesterday, but I went to bed early, and before that my friend had a horrible headache. Heh, figures, after I went to bed, she felt better. Anyways, I hope you guys are enjoying the story! And thanks for the support!! ^^


	9. Dib's Blood Part 1

The Irken And The Earthling's War And Love  
Chapter 9  
~Dib's Blood [Part 1]~  
_[ZaDr]_

"Where is he?" Zim asked Miss Bitters. "Where did you send Dib to..?" He asked.

She beared her teeth as a huge smile spread across her lips. "The Underground Classrooms, of course. Where else?"

"What will happen to him there?" Zim asked, feeling a little nervous, considering he had no idea if the only human who could possibly help him would survive.

Miss Bitters chuckled a little. "You don't want to know." She said. She then started to blab about different kinds of toxins found on earth.

'Dib...I'll come for you in a bit. Just give me a little time to piss off this teacher, until I'm able to come for you.' He thought, feeling Irken sweat slide down his face. Irkens could sweat like humans, but even though it looked like human sweat, it felt completely different as it was made up of different liquids. It was the same with saliva, and even tears. But tears for Irkens...were a completely different story.

~With Dib~

He finally felt his back connect with something hard. He sparwled across this hard substance, his eyes shut tightly, and his human mind began taking it in as a floor as hand felt the tile.

"Welcome to the Underground Classrooms, Dib!" A voice called.

Dib opened his eyes, then jumped up onto his feet immediatly. Before him, stood Kiya, who smiled darkly at him. The room he stood in was very dark, with candles scattered about, serving as the only lighting. There was an empty teacher's desk at the front, and a large amount of empty student desks which stood in perfect alighnment.

Dib backed up a couple of steps, and Kiya came closer to Dib with his own steps. "What are you doing here?!" Dib yelled at the Akrian as he stopped his movements, Kiya following suit.

"I...need your help." He said, his smile fading into a frown, slowly.

"Yeah right! I'm not stupid, you know!" Dib yelled, his left hand slipping to grip his gun at his hip.

"Please....help us. We need you....Big Brother is blind, but I know we could use your help." Kiya said.

Those older words rushed quickly through Dib's mind...

-

_"I am Kiya, an Akrian you should fear."_

-

"No!" Dib yelled, pointing his right hand's index finger directly at the foe.

Kiya tilted his head to the side slightly. "Why not help us?" He asked innocently. "If you agree to help us, to help the Akrians, I'll tell you everything, Dib. Everything you want to know. But you must agree, first." Kiya said.

Dib shook his head. "I can't trust you!" He yelled.

"Okay, would you prefer to endure this?" Kiya asked.

Kiya lifted his claws straight up, and like a curtain falling to the floor, the classroom was filled with humans who looked miserable, and sickly. The teacher at the desk glared them down, as she barked at them to work. Dib looked around at them all, seeing them all work hard, except for one kid who sat in a desk only a few feet in front of him.

Then, two tall, cloaked figures rushed into the room, and over to the child not working at the speed the others did. One of these tall figures gripped the boy by his shoulder, and pulled him up out of the seat. The other figure grabbed his other shoulder, and they dragged him away. A couple of minutes later, Dib heard the boy screaming down the hall at the top of his lungs, then it suddenly stopped.

Kiya walked to the side of the desk, leaving space for Dib to reach the chair. "Would you prefer to work down here, for the remainder of your life? You, nor anyone who comes down here, lives, Dib. NOBODY here lives. If you don't work, you are executed. If you do work, you never stop, until you are too hungry and dehydrated to work. Then, you die either from lack of sleep, food, water, or execution. That is the fate of everyone down here. I am offering you a chance to live, to escape this fate, so take it and run, Dib. Only a fool would turn my offer down." He explained. He then lifted a hand, and slowly brought it down, the people in the room suddenly vanishing.

"Well, maybe it would be foolish if I went with you. Ever think of that?" Dib asked, pulling his gun out finally, then crossing his arms as he glared up at the Akrian.

"DIB!!!" Zackery's voice rang out, causing Dib and Kiya to look over to the humanoid as he reached one of the room's three doors. "So, you're siding with the Akrians? Finally, your own flesh and blood!" He called.

Dib stared at him like his brain was sizzling in his own hands. "What are you talking about?!" Dib asked, more confused by that statement than anything.

Zackery sighed as his head dropped to the floor. "Memory still fuzzy, Dib? Well, maybe I should jog it for you." He then looked up to meet Dib's eyes with his own. "It's the least I can do for you, then maybe you'll respect me more, and listen to what I have to say!" He said.

"Tell me!" Dib yelled. "What do you know?"

"You....you aren't fully human, Dib!" Zackery called.

Just then, Rosey ran to meet Zack's side. "No, Zackery!" She called out as she clutched his arm.

"SILENCE!!! He MUST know, Sister!" Zackery yelled, causing his sister to flinch. He then turned back to Dib. "Dib! You aren't completely human! You are a half breed! Nothing more than that!!" He said. "Nothing less than that, you are unique!"

"Half...breed..?" Dib asked. "What?"

Dib jumped as he felt a hand grip each of his shoulders. He then jerked his head up to see Kiya and Arc hovering over him. "That's right, Dib~" Arc said.

"You aren't fully human." Kiya added. "No, you must come with us."

"We must kill the Irkens!" Zackery yelled. "KILL THEM!!!"

"....Brother...." Rosey said, her head lowering to the floor as her eyes halved.

"The Irkens are going to destroy your precious planet, Dib. But we want to save it. Join us." Arc said. "You know it's for the best~"

Then, in from the northern door, came Ace, who growled viciously at the sight before him. "DIB!!!" He yelled, then bolted towards Dib.

Dib was about to side-step his charge, when Kiya stepped forth. "Stop." He said in his calm voice as his claw rose up, palm flat and claws spread.

Then, Ace suddenly froze. Kiya closed his claws, and Ace straightened his body posture, so he stood idle, not in a running position anymore. He then let his hand drop to his side. Ace gained control of himself again. "Why, Kiya? Why do you stop me from killing him! We know what the humans have done to us!" Ace asked.

"Big Brother....he can save our planet. He is the one, I am sure of it. Would you like me to test it?" Kiya asked. "To prove to you, that Dib is our savior?"

Ace folded his arms, a disgusted look on his face. "Fine then. If he really is the one she searches for, then prove it!" He yelled.

"Thanks, Big Brother." Kiya said, then walked over to him. He pulled Ace into a hug. He then let go after a good minute, and turned to face Dib. "Aserkira!" He called as he walked towards Dib, stopping a few steps away from him.

An incredibly slim Akrian came forth, through the door Ace entered. He was so slim, Dib could feel his eyes grow at the sight of him. 'How...how do they live like that..?' He wondered.

"Alright, Dib." His voice was so soft and strange, it was trancing, yet left Dib with an uneasy feeling in his stomach as well. "I must shower you, to assure you may handle simple water, our life force."

His lifted his skinny hand, and placed two fingers to his own temple. His other hand lifted, his palm flat as it aimed at Dib. Suddenly, a huge jet of water shot out at Dib, covering the boy with water, his whole body becoming soaked. He halted this movement, and Dib stood there, soaked and uninjured, though he was a bit chilled.

'This must be the one I was informed about, the one who makes rain. There is him, and Kiya who can alter time and create...strange things, like illusions or something.' Dib thought.

"Yeah, so? He's a human, and should perish." Ace spat.

"Watch." Kiya said. "Bakapser, bring it!" He called.

Through the same door Aserkira came another Akrian. This one was shorter than the others. In his arms, was a box, with a lid that could easilly be taken off. He walked up to Dib, and stood directly in front of him. "If this insect leaves you alone, you are human. If not..." His whistly voice swapped to a laugh, which sounded like he was gasping.

"...." Dib wordlessly stared at the box, as this Akrian before him, Bakapser, slowly pulled the lid off.

Inside of the box, stood a large insect. It was black completely in color. It was long, had six skinny legs, it was a bit plump, its skin was sleek, its eyes looked like dark red gems, and it had large fangs hanging from its mouth. It immediatly crawled up the box's side, and lunged onto Dib's chest.

"Nyaah!! Let go of me!!" Dib yelled, but the bug crawled up to his bare neck quickly, then sunk its big fangs into his neck. "OWW!!!" Dib screamed.

He gripped the bug's body, and felt it was so tough, he couldn't apply pressure onto it. He tugged at it, but its fangs never released his skin. "Ding ding ding! I think we have a wiiinner!!" Arc chimmed.

"It hurts! Get this thing off of me!!" Dib yelled.

Kiya quickly arrived at Dib's side as Bakapser took a few steps back. Kiya wrapped an arm around Dib's shoulder, his hand reaching Dib's shoulder, right near the bug. "If you help us, I'll remove it." He said.

"Dib, go with them." Zack said. "I'll take care of the Irken. Just go with them, help them, they will leave Earth, and take over Irk, then we can all rest. They will get rid of the Irkens, finally! Then we will have our revenge."

'That's right...Zim...' Dib thought, thinking about that night, when Zim showed him the butterfly. Thinking back to how Zim took care of his hand. Thinking back to when they have, in small instances, helped each other otherwise. He let his head drop as his eyes shut tightly. "I can't." He said sternly.

Kiya brought his head closer to Dib's face. "Where is the little Irken now?" He asked.

Dib's eyes snapped open. Around him, was the skool's playground. Zim stood outside with the other kids, laughing and pointing down at The Leter M as he stood up and dusted himself off.

"Foolish human!! Uhh...are you arlight, I mean?" Zim asked.

"Yeah..." The boy said.

The bell rang, and all of the kids walked into the Skool, aside from Zim, who stood smiling up at the sky. "Stupid Dib. I hope he perishes. Along with the rest of the Earth and its humans. I can handle the Akrian's alone. Besides, I have a plan." He then made his way inside.

The playground disintegrated, and Dib stood with the other Akrians and the two humanoids. His head lowered as he realised he should have never trusted Zim. That Zim had betrayed him, when he thought he could finally trust somebody, even a little. This hurt him far worse than when he was complete and total enemies with Zim, since...he had nobody. Nobody was on his side. Nobody...cared about him. The pain in his neck felt like nothing, as he felt....suddenly empty inside.

'I...I never noticed...how attached I was letting myself become to Zim. But why? I don't understand why I would let myself feel this way...I'm such a fool...' Dib thought hopelessly.

"He doesn't care about you. He never has, and never will." Kiya said. He then leaned a bit closer to Dib. "He was using you....unlike what we are purposing to you, Dib. Come with us, and we will let you know it all. Then, we will use your help to save our world. All we want is your help, we aren't asking for much."

Dib slowly nodded. "Alright....I will go. There's...nothing left." He said, his voice so quiet, the Akrian could barely hear his words. 'Zim....I thought...we could be friends...I really was starting to think that, too...maybe not right away, but in time.....but now, I'm nothing. Nothing....but a foolish....something. I don't even know what I am.....I'm..pathetic....'

A huge, dark smile spread across all of the Akrian's faces, except for Ace, who was too stuck up to bother. Kiya quickly pulled the insect off of Dib's neck, then crushed it in his hand. He let it fall to the floor, acting as though what he just did wasn't grotesque at all.

"Brother...." Rosey said. Her head jerked up to look at his face. "They are lying!" She yelled.

Kiya smiled nicely to Rosey as his eyes closed and his head tilted a bit. "Screw you. Even if he didn't agree, he'll be coming anyways." One of his eyes cracked open. "Dib belongs to us now, in his final moments."

"What?!" Dib yelled, looking up at Kiya.

Suddenly, they all vanished. Just like that, the Akrians Arc, Ace, Kiya, Aserkira, and Bakapser, along with Dib, dissappeared.

Zackery and Rosey ran forward, to the location the group was at previously. "Brother....you never listen to me...." Rosey said, softly and quietly.

"Dib....what will happen? I thought Arc was-"

"Brother!!" Rosey yelled, grabbing his shoulders and pulling him backwards.

"YaaaaaAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH**HHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**" Zim's loud scream rang out, increasing as they continued to hear it.

Suddenly, the Irken landed on his stomach, in the spot Zack was standing in previously. He quickly jerked his head up, then hopped up onto his feet in one slick motion. Zim spun around, his big red eyes scanning Zackery and Rosey. "You...you are the ones from Dib's past!" He exclaimed.

"ZIM!!!" Zackery screamed, then shot out his arm, his fisted hand nearing Zim's fast. Then, his arm's skin suddenly turned deep blue, and his arm transformed into a huge gun, the hole that lasers could shoot from was slightly bigger than one of Zim's eyes.

"BROTHER!!! Stop this!!" Rosey screamed, grabbing Zack's arm, and pulling it back so it aimed at the ceiling. He jerked his head towards her, glaring her down. "The bad ones have Dib, the bad ones!!" Rosey yelled.

"What?!" Zim asked, confused at what on Earth was going on...literally.

"Rosey! Open your eyes already!! The IRKENS are the bad ones! The AKRIANS are the good ones who will be on our side if we cooperate with them!!" Zackery yelled at his sister.

Rosey sighed as she placed her hand to her face. "You are-" She then lifted her hand to the level his face was at. "STUPID!!!" Rosey back handed Zack across the face. "You know NOTHING!!! The Irkens abducted Dib! The Irkens were attacked by the Akrians!! I don't blame them for fighting with the Akrians since they were attacked FIRST!!!" She screamed.

"Sister...." Zack said, his body shaking as he laid on the ground.

"Where is Dib?" Zim asked Rosey.

She turned her head to him. "The Akrians took him because my stupid brother wouldn't allow me to intervine...he never does." She spat as she looked down to Zack, then back to Zim.

"You know..." Zackery said, his head turning so his eyes could see his sister. "You'll be free from me soon enough..." He said, his body shaking still.

"Brother....our time is almost up. I know this, I feel it as you do." Rosey said, crouching as she toched his head. "Rise, for our last stand. And LISTEN to me, because I know what's best for Dib." She said.

"Dib..." Zim said, looking down. 'I've...hurt him a lot. I really have.

Rosey rose untill she stood up straight. "Zim...I apologize for my brother's, and my own, rash actions. Your base...we destroyed it. I am sorry..." She said. "This is our punishment for all that we have done." Rosey explained. "I know that we can't do anything about what has happened, but we can destroy the ships around Irk, if you wish we do so." She said.

"Yes, destroy them so we can get the Irken Armada into space." Zim said.

"From there, we shall assist you all." Rosey said.

"Good." Zim said. "Now....how do we get out of here?" He asked.

"I know." Zack said. He then got up off the ground. "I can use this to teleport us out of here." He said, pulling a small, clear sphere from his coat's pocket. There was an Irken symbol on it, which made Zim grimace. He stole this from his home, when they sabotaged it.

~With Dib~

Dib opened his eyes, having previously closed them while they were teleporting. He looked around, finding he was alone in a strange, white room. The walls, ceiling, and floor all glowed softly, and were completely created from a foreign substance. "Zim..?" He called out. He then lowered his head.

-

_"Where is the little Irken now?"_

_"He doesn't care about you. He never has, and never will."_

_"He was using you....unlike what we are purposing to you, Dib. Come with us, and we will let you know it all."_

_"Dib belongs to us now, in his final moments."_

-

"Zim....you bastard! I hope you and your Irken Empire rot! I can't believe you, you stupid bastard..." He said, his words fading as his body wracked with a sob. He refused to let the tears fall, but his body continued to shake as his hand covered his mouth.

Dib walked over to the only door in this room. He leaned against its light brown wood, the only thing that seemed real in this room. His arms crossed as his shoulder pressed aginst it. He then rested his head against this door. "Gaz....I'm sorry. You...were the only one who cared about me at all, though you don't care too much, you still..." He sobbed.

He started to think back to the past, and he though long and hard about everything. He thought back to when he left Zim to the Halloweenies, and how cold he was doing so. He thought back to attacking Zim when he inflicted his DNA with bologona, and how mad he was about it. The time when he was tossed against the couch, and too afraid of Zim to listen to what he had to say, which he was still curious to this day about why Zim came to him.

'Zim....I've been so cold to you....it's no wonder you hate me.' He though, feeling a tear slip down his pale face. His head tilted down a bit as the tear reached his cheek, allowing it to fall onto the floor.

Then, the door started to slowly open, and Dib immediatly jumped back. The door opened completely, and there stood Kiya. "Dib, come with me." He said, smiling like everything was fine. But everything was not fine.

Dib trudged out of the room with heavy foot steps, behind Kiya, who walked proudly down the hallways. Dib didn't care where he was. He didn't care who was with him. He just didn't care as he felt like his heart was slowly tearing, starting on the inside.

Dib slowly looked around the hallway. All male Akrains lined the path, all of which stared at him in wonder. 'They must not be used to humans....or whatever I am, anyways...' Dib hopelessly thought as he continued walking.

The windows on the left allowed him to see space, which amazed him as his gaze kept drifting to the windows. Like he was hoping for something, but he knew, hope was a lie. Hope would not make Zim come save him. It wouldn't make him care.

The ceiling and floor was dark blue, and the walls were just slightly lighter in hue. The floor clacked with each step, so Dib assumed it was some type of metal. The lighting in the ship was only built from the stars that dotted space.

Kiya tilted his head, allowing his bizzare eyes to look at Dib for a couple of seconds. "I hope you listen well. Once we reach the room we're heading towards, you will recieve all of the answers you seek." He said.

Dib tilted his head down. "I just don't care." He said, the shine from the windows casting a reflection off his glasses, showing the Akrians how glassy his eyes are.

"Oh, come now. The Irkens will be dealt with and you will find happiness with us." Kiya said. Dib didn't budge even a bit as he said this. "You are of our blood." He said.

Dib suddenly jerked his head up to meet the Akrian's eyes. "Wha....what did you say..?" He asked, his voice wavering.

Kiya stayed silent. He suddenly stopped, making Dib stop as well. He turned to the right, and walked up to a door. He slid the door open, and walked in, Dib following him. Kiya shut the door, and Dib looked around the room they were in.

There was a dark wooden table with two black, rolling chairs. There were two huge windows which took up the back wall, and above, there was a huge window on the ceiling. "Sit, Dib. Sit, and you will hear the truth you haven't been allowed for such a long time." Though Dib never looked at him, his face twisted into a huge, crazed smile. "Little Brother."

~With Zim~

Zim barged into his still restoring base. "GIR!!!" He yelled.

"Yes, my master!" GIR yelled as he barreled to Zim's side.

"We have a huge war on our hands! We must get the Voot Cruiser and take out all of the ships around Earth. Then, we'll join the Armada, save Dib, and kill the Akrians off! We're not going to sit around waiting for them to get us, NO!! IT IS TIME!!!" Zim yelled, then ran towards the wall, beside the television. He pressed an indentation on the wall, and a platform holding Zim's Voot Cruiser lowered from the ceiling. Zim and GIR then ran over to the platform as it reached the floor, and Zim opened up the ship, both he and GIR hopping in as the cover lifted for them.

~Back With Dib~

Dib sat down in the seat, across from the already seated Kiya. Though he was now getting answers, Dib still eyed this monster with angry eyes. "So, Dib, what are you?" He asked, his fangs bared as he smiled.

"....A human." Dib's voice announced. He decided to answer any questions he was asked at this point with the knowledge he currenly had.

"Yes. You are partially human....can you guess what else you are?" Kiya asked, his grin growing bigger.

".....Akrian..?" He asked.

"Correct." Kiya said. "You are a half breed. A mix of Akrian and human." He said.

'This....doesn't.....' Dib thought.

~With Zim~

The Voot Cruiser was now flying towards the sky. Zim smirked as his ship twirled straight up, spinning into a horizontal position as it faced the large crowd of Akrian ships, marked as Akrian with four claw slashes and a lance through them, this serving as the symbol.

The Akrians ships were all the same aside from a single ship. There were seven ships, six which were a bit smaller than Zim's own ship. These ships were built of white tubes that connected to each other, forming a circle, and in the center of the circle (and overall connected to the tubes) was a large white ball, where the cockpit of each ship was.

The last ship had a bigger center, and this ship was far larger than the others, though it was not nearly the size of The Massive, Zim noted. All of the small ships were equiped with two laser beams at the top corners of their ships, these lasers sitting on top of the tubing. The larger ship on the other hand had the same lasers in that location, but they also had another, larger laser. This laser was bigger in both width, length, and height, and this one was stuck between the tubing just below the cockpit.

"So GIR, are you ready for this?" Zim asked, his devious grin growing wider with each tense second that passed by.

"Yeeeaah!!!" GIR cheered. "Destroy them, destroy them!!" He yelled happilly.

"Oh, you bet I will." Zim said, his creepy voice barely a whisper as the Voot Cruiser flew forward at an intense speed. The Akrian ships flew towards his own quickly, but not nearly as quickly as his Irken ship did towards theirs.

~With Dib~

"You belong to the Akrians...and you are special to us, Dib." Kiya explained.

"...Wait!" Dib suddenly exclaimed. "What about the abduction?!" He yelled.

Kiya smirked. "The Akrian's abducted you." He said simply.

"No...that's wrong! I can just vaguely remember-"

"You were abducted by the Akrians." Kiya said calmly, cutting Dib off.

"But...I remember just a little...." Dib started, trailing off.

"Those fragmented memories are lies, Dib." Kiya explained.

Dib's entire body posture dropped, especially his facial expression. "....Gaz...." He suddenly felt that name slip from his lips.

"Your sister?" Kiya asked, receiving a slight nod from the Dib. "Oh, so sorry, but she's a goner." He said, is smile very slight as Dib flinched. "Unless...you help us. I could make it better. I could allow her life. Would the Irkens do that for you?" Kiya asked. His voice was so soft, and comforting, to the pained human.

"But...." Dib started.

"Come now, Dib. The Irken, Zim, would only toss you aside. He would simply use you, then destroy your human counterparts, and the Akrians as well. You don't want to kill off your own blood, right? An Akrian stands by his own kind." Kiya explained, his voice so kind, it was starting to throw Dib off.

Dib felt a bit of strength. He looked up to stare this Akrian in the eyes. 'I...I hear what he says...but why? Why do I feel..?' His mind asked.

~With Zim~

"OH YEAH!!!" Zim screamed as his Voot Cruiser smashed into one of the ships, sending it spinning directly into two others, impacting half of one of the ships, and clipping the other.

The battle was initiated. Zim had been wanting a space battle for weeks, well, now he was being granted that wish, all thanks to stupid Dib and every alien's obsession with lusting to capture the human. It did appear to be the case, and after a while of observing Dib being captured repetatively, anyone would assume this.

One of the seven ships that were positioning themselves around his Irken ship suddenly shot a large, white laser at his ship, causing it to start being pushed back, and wracking a huge vibration through the whole thing.

"GIR!! Reveal to our foes, the new lasers!" Zim yelled, then flipped a switch, causing it to turn on all combat units. He created a safe guard on the Voot Cruiser a while back, to prevent GIR from doing something stupid if he happened to be playing on the ship or something. He did have that incident a while back where GIR blew the ship up, drawing attention to themselves and creating a huge mess in the base...

"Okay!" GIR exclaimed, and with his only hand, he pressed a large, blue button.

Two seperate compartments on the bottom of the Voot Cruiser opened up, and side by side, two large laser guns lowered. The one on the left was ment to fire long, continuous lasers at the foes. This one had a bit of a longer barrel than the right one, and it had red pieces of metal here and there on the silver barrel, to help protect it if the ship was hit. The right laser gun had a shorter, silver barrel since it was made to fire short bursts rapid fire, and it had pieces of black armor on the barrel.

Then, one of the Akrians tapped into one of his voice communicators. Zim's ship was set to have one voice line which tapped into any Irken voice line, and one which picked up voice lines within a certain range from non-Irken ships. Of course, the within range voice line was the one that the Akrian tapped into.

"Invader Zim!" An unfamiliar Akrian voice rang out. "You are an insolent green skinned Irken who shall perish under the Akrian Army! You can either come quietly, or we will take you by force. Coming quietly is your best option, unless you like pain, Irken!" The young voice said.

"FOOL!!! I am an IRKEN, I shall not fall to your FILTHY Akrians hands!" Zim yelled back into the communicator, ignoring the groans on the other line at the loudness of his voice.

"Fine then, suit yourself. I tried." The Akrian said.

Then, the large ship's weapons aimed at Zim's Voot Cruiser. 'The Akrian that just spoke must be in that ship. The lead ship of this squad.' Zim figured.

The Voot Cruiser rushed forward, GIR screaming at the top of his lungs as he enjoyed riding in the ship with Zim. Zim made the ship fly up as one laser shot at him. That laser expanded from all kinds of different directions, as the other six ships started to shoot their lasers at Zim's ship.

"Okay then....I'm glad I'm so good at flying Irken ships." Zim muttered.

He turned the ship to the right, then spun it as it went down, then quickly as he righted the ship, he turned towards the left. He was now heading straight towards the ship, when suddenly one of the fourteen lasers slammed the side of his ship, causing his ship to ram a smaller one, tossing that one back.

"Aww, that wasn't cool..." GIR said.

"SILENCE!!!" Zim yelled. He hated it when people spoke as he tried to battle. 'Never, does anyone, realise the stress I'm under...' He thought. This was true, though he was a loser and never really opened his big red eyes to see it, he was always under a lot of pressure and always trying hard to show how strong he was. Trying to create something great from someone so small such as he.

Zim's Voot Cruiser suddenly sped so fast towards the leading ship, all of the lasers shot missed his ship by various miles. The Voot Cruiser rammed the ship dead on, bending some of the tubing towards the ships interior. The Voot Cruiser then pulled back, bounced off of some of the tubing on the ship a bit higher up, then flew behind the ship.

"GIR! Lock both laser guns onto that ship! That ship..." His creepy Irken voice said, slowling down on the last two words.

"Okey-dokey!" GIR exclaimed. He pressed a small, yellow button marked with an Irken number, then pressed a yellow button beside that marked with a different Irken number.

"Good GIR!" Zim yelled, as both laser beams locked onto the large ship.

GIR smiled, then turned around. "Ooh, what is that?" He asked aloud as he ran over to the window. He saw a fast, blue flash pass by, tugging a giggle from him.

Zim ignored GIR, far too engrossed in the battle at hand to bother. He cranked up the power dials for both laser guns. "TASTE THE WRATH OF ZIIIIIIIIIM!!!!!!!!" He screamed, then placed his small palms on the two oversized, red buttons.

From the left laser gun, a continuous flow of red energy blasted out, fused with a strawberry lightning wrapping vigerously around its sleek flow, smashing into the ship's cockpit dead on. The right laser pumped out red, sparking orbs, that kept crashing into different sections of the tubing, bending some of it, and breaking other sections, causing a lot of the Akrians inside those sections to get spaced as the ship appeared to struggle against Earth's gravitational pull on it.

Suddenly, the ship shook hard. Zim fell back against the black chair he sat in, as GIR slammed up against the window. The ship was rammed by two Akrian ships. As the ship fell, the lasers stopped firing, then retracted automatically, a design set up by Zim if the ship took too much damage. GIR started to scream as though he were on a falling ride, as Zim screamed out of fear. He then cut his screaming so he could yell a curse in Irken, the basic, original language of Irk. Every Irken can speak it, but English is the second language they learn, and they speak in English for the most part, since it's a universal language, quite literally.

"They're here!! THEY'RE HERE!!!" GIR screamed, then started to laugh like a maniac would.

"Whoo??!!!" Zim yelled.

Zim's question was answered. In mid fall, his Voot Cruiser was snatched up into a MUCH larger ship. He looked around, seeing the softly glowing, red walls, and black flooring and ceiling he knew so well. He quickly pressed the green button marked with a black Irken sign on the control panel, and the cover of the Voot Cruiser sprung up.

Zim hopped up out of the seat, and onto the metalic flooring of a place he was so familar with. His red eyes scanned the area, and he saw a huge load of Voot Cruisers around. Some had dents, missing pieces, and other problems, as others were in perfect conditions.

GIR peeled himself off of the window's foreign glass, then hopped out of the ship, and to Zim's side. "Let's do that again!! Let's do that again!" He cheered, his only arm waving in the hair as he smiled.

"No GIR, we need to get your arm fixed." Zim said simply. He had to be strong, since he was currently on-board the Massive.

"Okaaay...then can we have taquitos?" GIR asked.

"Uhh...GIR, we're kinda-"

The Massive suddenly shook. "GIR, lets go!!" Zim yelled, barreling towards the elevator.

~With Dib~

Kiya lifted his hand, and moved it horizontally, slowly. "Relax your weary shoulder, Dib, it is alright. You are my Little Brother, after all." He said, observing as Dib's eyes started to grow heavy as he stared at the Akrian's hand movements.

"But....I can't...abandon..." Dib said slowly, his voice calm and quiet.

"Shhh..." Kiya drew the shound out between his nasty teeth, hushing Dib's rambling. "You are abandoning nobody, Dib. You would be abandoning all you exist for if you side with the Irkens. You need to be with us, the Akrians. It will be alright, so long as you stand by your blood." Kiya's soft voice lulled the human...although, Dib felt his body shake a bit as he said the word blood.

Dib thought about how much it hurt him. How many times Zim tried to kill him. How much he'd been hurt by Gaz and his Father, Rosey, Zackery...everyone he knew. His thoughts slid over to the Akrians, and all of the trouble they had been putting him through, all of the pain they inflicted on him. 'No....this can't be...right? What...?'

As Kiya spoke, Dib brought his hand underneath the table. He let his combat knife slip from his right sleeve into his hand's grasp. "So follow my lead, and nothing will hurt-"

The knife suddenly flew through the air, and embedded itself into the Akrian's cheek. Kiya immediatly pulled it out, glaring at the boy. "That is not the way of the Akrian, Dib!" He scolded, causing Dib to freeze up a bit. "Stand up." He commanded in such a harsh voice, anyone would act immediatly.

So Dib did, he jumped to his feet so fast, he felt a slight head rush, but ignored it. Kiya rose from his seat slowly. He walked over to Dib, the windows to Dib's left showing the stars brightly. Kiya let the knife trapped between his long claws go, the eerie silence becoming deafening to Dib as the knife fell through the air in slow motion. Far too slowly for it to have fallen through normal means.

The knife clattered to the floor, black blood sliding from its sharp blade onto the metalic flooring. "Remove all of your weaponry, ammunition, and your coat." Kiya said, his height increasing slightly in Dib's eyes as he took a single step forward.

Dib lost his voice in inferiority and fear, so instead of saying yes, he nodded his head. He obediently pulled his gun from its holster at his hip, and dropped it onto the floor. He quickly emptied each pocket, carelessly tossing his ammunition onto the ground as he started to feel himself panic. He then slipped his coat off, and dropped it onto the floor, where it coiled at his feet. Dib was now left unprotected, unarmed, and a bit cold as he now had only black jeans and a blue shirt with an apethetic face imprinted on the front of it as his only protection. The thing he loved about his long coats was that he always wore, was that they were warm, and gave him enhanced protection.

"Now, Brother, I hope you will just listen to me and believe my words, when I say that I won't hurt you." Kiya said, his arms folding.

"NOOOO!!!!!!!!!! Screw ALL of you!!!" Ace's angered voice echoed through the halls.

Kiya turned his head towards the door for a split second, then back to Dib. "Sit down. We have more to discuss." He said.

Dib did so as Kiya walked to the door, opened it, then walked out, shutting the door behind himself. Dib sighed as he leaned forward, his elbows stuck to the table as his head rested into his curved hands. 'Why....does nothing feel right, anymore? I'd like to go back to being the loser who tried to reveal Zim's identity to the world again. I don't even know what is going on anymore....am I part Akrian? Why...why does that feel wrong, though? What am I? What happened when I was abducted? Where do I belong? What will happen to Gaz? Father? Zim..?' His mind hopelessly questioned nothing.

Dib closed his eyes as he listened carefully to what they said in the hallway.

~With Zim~

"MY TALLEST!!!" Zim screamed as he ran onto the bridge of the ship. Red and Purple turned around as Zim came to a sliding stop before them. Zim dropped onto one knee and one foot as he bowed deeply to the towering Irkens before him.

"Yeeeeeeehhhhheeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!" GIR screeched as he ran into the room himself. His voice cut off as he rammed into Zim, pushing him forward and causing him to fall onto the floor before The Almighty Tallest, who stared down at him with weird looks plastered to their faces.

"GIIIIIRR!!!!" Zim screamed at the SIR as he just pointed and giggled at him. "Be careful!!" Zim yelled as he hopped up onto his feet, then brushed himself off. "I apologize, my Tallest, for GIR's STUPID behavior." Zim said, turning quickly to GIR as he shouted the word "stupid".

GIR just smiled at Zim, ignoring the fact that the leaders were present, as well as other Irkens. "You look like a mon-"

"GIR!!!!" Zim snapped, seriously losing his patience.

"Zim, we need you to look at this..." Purple cut into the small quarrel as he pointed up at the huge screen before them all.

Zim turned his full attention on the situation at hand, as he looked upon the screen. The Massive, along with the mass amounts of Irken ships guarding it, blasted away every single Akrian ship in their path, aside from two. These were the ships that Zim had been previously fending off. He along with Red actually noticed the bigger ship along with one of the smaller ones slinked away.

The within range communicator for the massive picked up a signal from the larger Akrian ship as it drifted away from the final three ships, which were being blow apart by Voot Cruisers currently. "Sirs, there's a communication line awaiting answer. Would you like me to patch it through?" One of the Irken's asked from his seat at the communication controls.

"Yes." Red said simply. The Irken immediatly accepted the line with the flick of a small switch. Zim listened intently as the voice on the other line spoke up, realising it was the voice of the one who spoke to him a few minutes ago.

"Though I may fail this misson, there are other leaders. I refuse to let you rotten, stinking, repulsive, obnoxious, snack-obssesive, idiotic, selfish, stupid race of FOOLS, continue your reign of horror over all other races. I will assure your Iken Empire crum-"

The communication line cut off, as a roar of cheer and laughter filled the ship's interior. A lightning fast, blue ship with an Irken symbol imprinted on its front cover quickly slammed into the small ship, then trough the larger one. This happened in only mear seconds, and both ships broke apart into pieces, ever Akrian on board all of these ships being spaced.

This blue ship had a slim, pointed front that could crack and destroy most ships if it were to ram into, at least to the knowledge of the Akrians and what they have faced, it could. Zim could tell this one was a prototype, because it was marked with Irken symbols in far too many places, this opposed to the one to three markings on other Irkens ship's exterior shells. The design on this ship was sleek, and it was just slightly longer than a Voot Cruiser.

"My Tallest?" Zim questioned, Purple looking down at him as Red kept his watchful eyes on the screen as the ships advanced towards the Akrian's home planet. They knew the location from the huge map of the planets they had already discovered, and they knew about the Akrians...oh, did they know.

"What is it, Zim?" Purple asked.

"Who mans that ship? It's...such older technology." Zim remarked, his eyes skidding over the ship as it flew up beside some of the Voot Cruisers that flew in front of the Massive.

"Them? They came out of nowhere and destroyed the Akrians around Irk so quickly, I barely had any time to blink before we were on board the Massive, ready to take on those Akrains again." Purple explained bluntly.

"Do you know who they are?" Zim asked, gripping GIR's head as he was about to run off to one of the working Irkens, preventing him from moving any closer.

"No, but they helped us, and still are helping us." Purple explained. "If they create any problems fro us, then we'll blow them up." He added, giving the effect of the power of the Massive a bit of an enhancement.

"Alright." Zim said, feeling better now that he knew the Tallest had things a bit more thought out than he first figured. His gaze then dropped to GIR. "Now, My Tallest...what of GIR's arm?" He asked.

"Oh yes, I forgot with all of the...stuff going on and all." Red said as he turned towards Zim. "Clamps and Killroy, go fix GIR's arm." He ordered.

One fat and one slim Irken arrived at Zim's side. The fat one was shorter than Zim, reaching his shoulders. The other was just slightly taller than Zim. Both of these Irkens had big, round, red eyes. They both came to each side of GIR.

"Come with us." The taller one, Killroy, said, his voice very strong and clear.

"Okay." GIR said simple. As the three walked away, Zim watched. "Can I have a taquito?" GIR asked as they entered the elevator.

"Yes." Clamps said as Killroy clicked a button on the elevator's wall.

"Yaaay!!" GIR screeched as the doors closed.

Zim shook his head as he faced the Almighty Tallest. A small chime sounded from another Irken's controls. "Sirs, the blue ship is hailing us." He said.

"Send it through." Red said as his arms crossed.

The huge screen swapped over, showing Zackery instead of the universe around them. "Good Zim, so we did get you in time, before any real trouble could start." He said, sounding relieved.

"I'm fine, and I was fending the Akrians off well anyhow." Zim said, sounding stuck up as usual. "How about Dib? Where is he?" Zim asked.

"He's with the Akrians. They appear to be on a course towards their home planet, Akrious." Zack explained. "We need to get there quickly." He added in.

"Alright, thank you, Zackery." Zim said. Zackery nodded his head politely.

"I feel...nervous. I hope Dib will be okay..." Rosey's soft, shy voice piped from the background. Zim felt his Irken stomach, his Gatchata, drop within his Squeedly Spooch. Something felt really...strange, about Dib. For some reason...

~With Dib~

"Big Brother, have you decided what to do..?" Kiya asked Ace, voice softened from behind metalic walls and wooden doors.

"Yes Kiya, I am leaving. I will not stand by and watch her death. I cannot..." Dib heard Ace say.

"That is fine, Brother. If you seriously feel that he will not be of service to us-"

"It's not that, Kiya. I know....her time has come. Nobody can stop it. The Akrians are already on the brink of extinction, and-"

"Big Brother..." Kiya's voice hissed, sending a shiver up Dib's spine. "That past will catch up with you...you cannot run. I know, and if you run now, I can guarantee either you will be caught later or killed off by the Irkens anyhow. Do not be rash." He said.

"You know NOTHING." Ace's bold voice stated.

Dib then heard quick steps down the metal path. "I am sorry, My Big Brother. Farewell...I will miss you." He paused for a moment, his breath sounding a bit loud, a bit quick. "Little Brother Dib is all I have left~" His soft voice rang out like clear crystals.

The door then opened and shut, quickly, yet quietly. Kiya made his way back to his own seat. As he sat down, he began to speak. "I trust you are not armed, Brother Dib."

"I am not armed." Dib truthfully said. 'I...I don't feel it...'

"Dib, are you ready to help us?" Kiy asked calmly, voice soft and hypnotic once again.

Dib's head lowered, ever so slightly. "Yes, I am." He said. 'I don't...feel like I'm Akrian.'

"Our leader is very sickly. You are the key to making that sickness go away." Kiya started to explain.

Dib looked out the window. He saw a very blue world, and they were nearing it at a steady pace. The ship was taking it's time, as though there was no need to rush. 'Zim....I guess....you really aren't coming for me, are you?' He thought as he stared. "I see. He said, responding to Kiya, as he realised he hadn't responded.

"Our leader....is on this ship." Kiya explained.

Dib looked up at him. "Why are we at your world then?" He asked.

"We are currently at Akrious for reinforcements, in case we need them." Kiya explained.

"Why would that be a necessity?" Dib asked curiously as his right hand slid into his pocket for warmth on this cold ship.

"You never know what could happen." Kiya said simply as he brought his hands forth, onto the table's top. He folded his hands neatly. "That is not important though. What is important is that you know all of the facts." He said sternly, bizzare eyes locked on Dib's burnt orange ones.

Dib went mute for a second, still thinking everything over, slowly chewing his next words. Though he was mixed up, he knew that a wrong move like earlier could place him in a very bad position. "What are the facts, exactly?" Dib asked slowly.

"Well, what do you know? About yourself?" Kiya asked, his voice getting a bit higher, yet clear.

Dib decided to answer this with his knowledge gathered from what he already knows, and what he has learned from the Akrian. "I am part human....and part Akrian. I was abducted...by Irkens when I was eight. I also know....that the Irkens are our enemies." Dib explained.

"....Almost." Kiya said quietly, then cracked a weird smile. Dib tilted his head to the side in confusion. "You were abducted by the Akrians, not the Irkens."

"...What?" Dib asked, feeling everything in his body begin to lock up. 'That...can't be-'

"You are Akrian, and we....need you, Dib." Kiya said. He got up out of his chair, then started to walk towards Dib's side of the table slowly as he spoke up again. "We need you very much, Little Brother..." He then stopped walking as he reached the side of Dib's chair. He placed his right hand on the right arm of Dib's chair, and Kiya's left arm slid across the back, his claws lightly touching Dib's left shoulder. "Oh Brother, help us, please." His head closed in towards Dib's, connecting the scaley flesh of his forehead to Dib's soft forehead. His creepy eyes closed slowly, then Dib's did.

Dib felt sweat flow down his face. He was extremely nervous, and this Akrians scared him...possibly more than the others. In Dib's mind, all of them were mentally crazed. This going FAR beyond Zim's insanity. In fact, Dib felt MUCH safer with the Irken rather than these monsters. But he was trapped, and confused, this Akrian was very confusing.

"Brother Dib, Brother Dib....." Kiya's soft voice called out. Then, his eyes opened into slits as they glared at Dib in the eyes. "I knew you wouldn't believe me, I told them this, too. I knew, I'm not a fool like some of these half wits. So, what do you know now?" He asked, smiling a large smile, fangs bared.

Dib went completely mute for what seemed around five minutes. "I....I...." He was WAY too confused to even explain anything, anymore.

"You want the truth?" Kiya asked. "Alright, I'll give you the truth, right here, and right now. You are half human, and half IRKEN. You were abducted by the Irkens, twice. The Irkens and the Earthlings would work very well together. But...I can't allow that to happen. Our leader needs your help." Kiya explained.

Dib wasn't able to speak. This was....becoming too much for him. But he shook it off, deciding that he had to side against these Akrians. He'd think things over later, because right now he needed to be strong. "I won't help you, jerk." Dib grounded out.

"I knew that was coming." Kiya said. He then slid his left hand to Dib's throat, causing Dib's face to turn a bit blue with fear. His hand wrapped around the back of Dib's throat, claws lightly touching his skin. "You WILL help us, whether you want to or not. You'd resist anyways. Do you know why?" Kiya asked, a playful smile across his lips.

"...No." Dib choked out. He was so very nervous at this point, he was struggling to create words.

"That is because...we need your blood. Your Irken and human blood will revive her strength. You are the one we need to save her. But there's a catch....to save her, we need ALL of your blood." Kiya said darkly.

Dib's eyes grew huge as he stared into the monster's crazed eyes. "NOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" He screamed.

The boy pulled the Akrian's hand off his throat, Kiya chuckling as he did so. Dib then pressed his foot against the table's leg, and pushed it, sending his seat rolling backwards. He jumped out of the seat, and ran towards the door. He opened it and ran out, hearing Kiya's voice as he did so.

"You cannot run, Dib! She's on board the ship, and everyone knows to take you to her, now!" As soon as those words finished, a loud, continuous siren sounded, blaring through the halls as the Akirans filling the halls glared him down.

Dib continued to run down the halls, but this lasted for only seconds untill he felt his shoulders both be caught by Akrian claws. He looked up to his right, then to his left. Two Akrians smiled down at him deviously as they tightened their grips on his shoulders.

"Good work." Came the unfamiliar voice of an Akrian, from behind Dib.

Dib tilted himself back, the Akrians allowing this a bit, just so he could see the tallest Akrian he had seen up to this point staring down at him with a nice, neat little smile. His arms were behind his back, and Dib really could see how skinny this Akrian was. It made him feel a bit sick inside, really.

"Dib...our leader awaits you." He said.

Dib then felt himself be pulled forward, so he straightened up and began to walk with the two Akrians who gripped his shoulders.

'So....Zim. Will you....come for me?' Dib's mind questioned as his head dropped. 'I wouldn't blame you if you didn't I really wouldn't. I'm....I'm so sorry, Zim.'

~With Zim~

'Oh Dib...you better not die on me!! Stupid, weak HUMAN!!!' Zim's mind screamed as the Irken Armada made their way towards Akrious.

* * *

  
Hey guys! I apologize for the long wait, things have been hectic, and this would have been out days ago, had there not been so many distractions. Anyways, the next chapter will be released tommorrow, since it's already written. I hope you guys enjoy this! This story will be far more intense and complex than I had originally planned. *Cracks grin* Enjoy! ^^


	10. Dib's Blood Part 2

The Irken And The Earthling's War And Love  
Chapter 10  
~Dib's Blood [Part 2]~  
_[ZaDr]_

"Oof!" Dib let the sound out as his body connected with the dark red flooring. He heard his glasses clatter to the floor feet from his location.

The doors behind him slid closed as the two Akrians left. Dib looked up, then around the room. He was in a completely dark red room, and he could barely tell this from the dim lighting of a single candle which sat on a small table good distance from him. Without his glasses on, he could barely see much at all, everything blurring together.

"Welcome, my savior." A very soft, horse voice called from the darkness. The voice sounded very feminine, and very cute, even with the harsh gravely sound to it.

"....The leader..?" Dib asked slowly as he got up onto his feet.

"Yes, I am. I am Akria, the leader of the Akrians. From the war with the Irkens, I have almost been killed. If I die, the remaining few Akrians will all die, since no other can lead." She explained.

"Why?" Dib asked simply, his brain feeling like mush at this point.

"I can already see it. They will scatter, perhaps a small group will escape, but the Irkens will crush us. They will probably use our world for research against water, since our world is water." Akria explained.

"Your world IS water? How can you live in a world like that?" Dib asked.

"We live in a huge world under the water. For so long, we built on land, but with the war...it was sunk. The entire world above is now below. There are only two land plots that are above the vast waters, and the conditions of these areas are very harsh. So harsh, the Akrians who persist on living in these areas have almost completely been wiped out. Below the waters is another world, where we have created our own air supply and everything, just so we can exist." She explained. "If we are attacked again, and I am not up to full strength, I know almost all Akrians will die this time around."

Dib sighed as he dropped to his knees. He felt around on the floor for his glasses carefully. "Why not just surrender to the Irkens? If you do that, I'm sure you'll live." Dib suggested.

"I refuse to surrender under their stupid Empire." Akria spat. Dib then found his glasses, and slipped them onto his face. "I wish to live, Dib, and you WILL give me life, NOOOW!!!" She suddenly screamed.

Dib got up onto his feet, then backed up a few steps. A light from above turned on, and Dib could see Akria clearly in the lit room. She was quite tall, had the light blue, scaley skin, had the claws that were very long, but the difference in her was her eyes. They had black pupils which rested against white eyes, the reverse of the male Akrians.

There was a weird machine beside her. It had glass around it with a grey cover and was on three wheels so she could bring it anywhere she needed. There was a mid-length, fat tube that came from this bizzare machine, and was embedded into her arm. She slowly picked up a tube like this, the end of it showing a needle-skinny tip. Dib knew what this was....it was a blood sucking machine, used to transfer his own blood into her. His blood would fill the glass container as it slowly pumped into her body, and this process could only happen...if his blood was taken.

"Come, my savior Dib." She said.

Then, an Akrians rushed into the room. "Miss, I'm sorry, I have to fix one of the wires in the machine." He said as he rushed to her side.

Akria growled as Kiya entered the room. "Make it QUICK!" She yelled as loudly as her horse voice would allow. "I need life!!" She added, though she exclaimed this, it came out in barely a whipser.

Kiya made his way to Dib's side. He gripped Dib's shoulder, and pulled him away, down the hall. "Where are we going?!" Dib yelled up at him, confused as to what was happening.

"Back to the room we were in. That fix will take a bit of time." Kiya explained. "She's too riled up with you present." He added on.

He arrived at the room's door, opened the wooden barrier, then shoved the boy inside. Dib fell to the floor on his hands and knees as the door closed. He stood up, brushing himself off as he looked around in confusion. Nobody was in the room with him.

Dib walked around the table, drawing his gloved fingers across its top slowly. He looked down at the floor as he walked, his coat, ammo, and weapons were missing. He walked around the table until he reached one of the large windows, the one in front of the table.

"...Gaz....what is going on?" He asked as he lifted his head. He looked up through the ceiling's glass covering. "I hope you wake up, Gaz. We may not get along well, but you're still my sister, and I care about you, Gaz." He said. "As for Zim...." He started, his eyes closing slightly. "I hope you and the Irken empire stand strong. Between you and the Akrians, I'd prefer the Irkens to take Earth....those Akrians...I just don't like them at all."

Dib's thoughts then slid over to what he was...an Irken. He recalled vague, broken memories of being abducted when he was a baby, and when he was eight. 'The Irkens abducted me twice...and if I'm half Irken...then why? Why have I never known this? Why can't I remember it all? But most importantly...what will happen now?' His mind asked.

Dib then brought his head down, so he could look out the window before him. It was huge, he realised. His body was shaking with the cold environment of this ship. His arms folded to try to keep some warmth in them as he took a step forward. He now stood close to the glass before him, his breath covering a small area of the window before him.

"Zim, if you're out there somewhere, I hope you come for me. If you do...I'll do anything for you, I promise. If you don't come...then I just hope you remember me." He let out a huge sigh as he placed his forehead on the glass. "I'm sorry for it all, Zim, I really am. I never...really took any time to get to know you. I'm regretting this so much now, because...we may have...even become friends. We are...so much more alike than I ever really figured, before. Zim..." He said quietly. His body then wracked with a sob.

Dib pulled back from the glass and stood up straight. He stared out into the universe before him, feeling something...soothingly familiar. He took one step closer to the glass, and placed his right hand onto it, feeling its cool texture as another sob took him over. He placed his other foot forward, now the remainder of his body mear inches from the freezing cold glass of the window.

His eyes, wide and large stared out into the black huges of space. Then....his entire being felt lighter with only seconds. From the left, he saw them. Pink and black ships came within his sight, Irken symbols and signs on every ship his eyes skimmed. He smiled as his other hand slammed onto the glass. His smile grew as his amazement did. Pink and black ships started top barrel past the window, some spinning as other fired beams.

A blue ship passed by, and as it did, his eyes caught them. Zackery and Rosey staring ahead, as the ship had Irken markings on the outside and Irkens inside manning the long ship.

Then, after this ship....he felt everything inside of him shake up. A pink Voot Cruiser passed him by, and controling this ship....was Zim himself. Zim looked very serious, his red eyes leering as his hands glided smoothly across the controls. Dib knew Zim didn't notice him, but he felt so much better as he watched him.

Dib then felt empowered. He sharply turned around, arms crossing over the face's eyes on his shirt as he faced the door. The Massive passed overhead, Dib noticed as he glanced up quickly, then back down to the door. His strong smirk made its way over his lips as he heard an alarm filling the ship's interior.

The door sudddenly flew open, and Dib dropped his arms to his side, his facial expressions turning glum as his body posture slumped. He decided to play his role out like a good, scared little human would. He needed to figure out a way to take them out. Those words sprung through his mind, once more.

-

_"....The Heart...."_

-

Dib walked to Kiya's side. "Come, we need to do this fa-" Kiya cut himself off as the ship shook suddenly.

Kiya huffed as he grabbed Dib by his shoulder. He quickly pulled him down the hallway, towards the room where Akria was previously. He opened one of the doors quickly, then ran Dib over to Akria's side.

'Com'on, Zim....help me.' Dib thought as Kiya used his free hand to grab the blood sucking cord.

"So Dib, still think Zim will save you?" Kiya asked, his fangs beared as he smiled the biggest smile he ever smiled, ever.

Dib backed up a couple of steps. Then, without knowing this, he had to thank Zackery as his ship slammed into part of this one. Dib fell backwards onto his butt as the ship shook, Kiya's grasp on his shoulder slipping just enough for Dib to escape it.

Dib immediatly got up onto his feet, as Kiya grabbed him by the back of his throat. Dib screamed loudly as Kiya lifted him off the ground, applying pressure to his throat as he did so.

"Kiya, drop him! I need his life force! His blood!!" Akria yelled.

"Yes Miss, I'm sorry." Kiya said, placing Dib's feet on the floor, and pulling him close to his body, in a backwards hug. Kiya's arm went diagonally down from Dib's left shoulder, to the right half of his chest. His hand gripped Dib's right elbow. "Now, you will help Leader Akria." Kiya spat.

Kiya then stabbed the tube's needle point into Dib's arm, causing him to scream loudly. The machine instantly started to suck his blood, drawing the red hues of his blood into the glass container. Dib tried to push the Akrian's arm off of himself, but he failed miserably. The Akrian was far too strong for him.

Then, over the intercom, spoke the extremely tall, extremely skinny Akrian Dib saw earlier. "Intruder alert! An Irken has broken into the ship! I repeat..."

"ZIM!!!" Dib yelled. "HELP MEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!" Dib screamed. Kiya then applied more pressure onto the boy as his teeth gritted in anger.

~With Zim~

Zim barreled down the halls, silver square in hand. 'I am SOOO glad I have this Irken weapon. Since its creation months ago, Irkens have been using these things often. They are SUCH good weapons, too! They switch between a sword, a whip, and...'

Zim held up the square, and through a single hole in it where the sword had previously protruded from, instead, small green spheres shot out, slamming into an Akrian that charged towards him from the hall he was in. 'A laser gun!' His thoughts finished as he continued to run.

On Zim's free hand's wrist was what appeared to be a small watch, but it had a projection cast forth from the tiny screen, and in this square, translucent projection, there was a red dot that marked Dib's location, and it blinked repetatively as the watch emitted a beeping sound.

"Ziiiiiim!!!" He heard Dib hollar down the halls. He heard the human calling for help, calling for Zim to come. Zim kept running, shooting Akrians that blocked his path as he made his way towards Dib. 'I WON'T lose Dib to some stupid Akrians. Never!'

~4 Minutes Later, With Dib~

Dib stared into the glass container as he felt himself turning pale. "Wow, a normal human would have either fainted or died by now." Kiya said. "How intriuging..." He added.

"Shut up." Dib spat. "I'm...so done...with this..." He added, trying to focus more power into staying awake. To stay alive when he felt so very drained.

Then, a loud crack split into the small conversation. The top half of the left door slammed against the wall, just next to Akria's head. The right door collapsed onto the ground. Dib's eyes widened in hope as well as shock.

"LET THE HUMAN GO, RIGHT NOW!!!" Zim's loud, serious voice boomed throughout the room as he stood in the broken doorway, beside the remaining half of the left door.

"ZIIIIIIIIIM!!!!" Dib screamed as he turned to look at the Irken.

"Kiya!" Akria yelled.

Kiya released Dib and charged towards Zim. "Irken PEST!!!" He screamed as he took a big swipe of his claws at Zim's face. Zim ducked, then turned swiftly to look at the Akrian who glared at him from outside of the door.

Dib looked down at the tubing in his arm. He tugged on it, and found it was stuck in his skin! He pulled on it a bit, unable to get it out. "HEY! What is..this?!" He asked slowly.

"You're going to die!" The now stronger, sounding Akria said, then started to laugh.

"I think not!" Zackery's voice yelled as a hole suddenly formed in the ceiling, shaking the ship. He jumped down onto the floor, completely avoiding the falling pieces of the roof as he ran over to Dib. He pulled at the tubing, unable to pull it out either. He then jerked his head up to Akria. "Tell me what it takes to get this out, or else." He said sternly, then aimed his fisted hand at her face, his arm morphing into a large laser gun again.

"Stupid IRKEN!!!" Zim was suddenly tossed into the wall, just to Dib's right. He slumped to the floor as he shook his head.

"Zim!" Dib yelled.

"...Oww....STUPID AKRIAN!!!" Zim screamed, staggering as he stood up. He then looked over at Dib, just for the first time noticing that the human didn't look too good. "Dib, are yo-"

"Forget about me and consentrate on Kiya!" Dib exclaimed as he saw the Akrian advancing towards Zim. Zim quickly nodded, and ran at the Akrian.

Dib then turned back to Akria, who cackled at the humanoid and the human. "You aren't smart enough to-"

Dib then smirked as he looked back down at the machine again. He pressed a button on the side of it, and it shut off. Akria hissed at him, as she was still not at full strength. Dib's smile grew as he looked up at Zackery, to Akria's tubing, and back at Zack again. Zackery nodded, understanding what the human wanted.

Zackery grabbed the tube that was in Akria's arm, and pulled it out. "What are you doing?!!" Akria screeched.

"I'm giving you a taste of your own pain! For it will be your last." Zackery hissed. Dib smirked as he took the top off of the glass container.

"STOP THAT!!!" Akria yelled, reaching to grab Zackery by his sleeve. Zack swiftly circled his arm around her's and jumped back, his feet plastering to the ground beside Dib.

Zack stuffed the tube inside the container, then Dib quickly slammed the cover down on it, locking it in place. Zackery ran over to Akria and grabbed her claws swiftly. With his inhuman strength, he held them tightly, and Dib grabbed the tube that had been shoved into his skin quickly, and ran over to her.

Zim jumped to the left as he shot two laser bullets at Kiya. Kiya slashed one, burning his claw as he did so, and he was able to evade the other. Kiya ran forward towads Zim at a fast speed, and Zim mimiced this motion. They slashed each other across the face with their claws.

"NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Akria screamed as her blood was rapidly poured out of her body. What the human and humanoid had down, was they took the blood draining tube and impaled that into one of her arms. They put the blood releasing tube inside the container. Thus, they were draining her of her blood, and filling the container with it instead.

Dib actually felt a bit bad about tis as he saw the pain she felt. She glared viciously at him. "Dib, your father is such a success, yet you are nothing without us." She hissed.

"What are you talking about?! You were trying to KILL me!!" He snapped.

"You would have lived on in me!" Akria snapped back.

"No, my blood would run through yours! I wouldn't be living at all!!" He yelled.

"AKRIAAAAA!!!!!!!" Kiya screamed as he realised what was happening.

Kiya tossed Zim across the room as he ran towards Akria. "Zack!" Dib piped, receiving a nod from the humanoid as he knew he had to stop Kiya and keep Akria's tubes in place.

He grabbed both of her wrists and held them together, as he aimed his right arm at Kiya, transforming it into the laser gun it truely was. "Freeze or I'll kill you!" Zack yelled.

"We'll see about-"

Zackery fired a laser at him, sending him flying out through the busted doors, outside of the room. He smirked, waiting for the fool to get up and try charging at him again...

Dib on the other hand ran to Zim's side. He dropped onto his knees as he reached the Irken. Zim was laying on his stomach, his anntenas slightly twitching as he sensed Dib's presence.

"Zim....are you okay?" Dib asked him. He fought with Kiya really hard, and Dib was worried.

Zim coughed a little, Dib jumping just slightly at the sound as he hadn't heard an Irken cough before. Zim's cough was so small, and weak, that it intrigued Dib. Zim slowly got onto his hands and knees, then shifted unhimself into a sitting position. What Dib saw as Zim lifted his head, shocked him.

Zim's green skin was actually bleeding. He had four slashes on his left cheek. From those slashes, bright red blood flowed down his face. He smirked up at Dib as he heard the human gasp. "Irkens bleed too, Dib. We have red blood, like you do. It's all the...same..." He said weakly as his red eyes closed.

Zim then fell over, his head connecting with Dib's shoulder. Dib brought his arm up and around Zim's shoulders as this happened, preventing him from falling backward onto the cold, metal floor. "Zim..." Dib breathed as he stared down at the Irken. 'He's been fighting so hard....' His mind thought.

Dib really looked at Zim hard, that is until the ship shook harder than his stare, anyways. Dib lowered his head, bring it closer to Zim's as the ship rocked. He then looked back, leaning back slightly as his head rose.

Zackery and Kiya exchanged blows quickly. Zack kicked Kiya under the chin as the Akrian charged at him. Akria had lost so much blood, she was turning a very, very dark blue. It was like she was turning pale...or something. Zackery quickly glanced over at the Irken and half-Irken as Kiya fell to the ground.

"Get Zim out of here!" Zack snapped.

Dib nodded and slowly stood, both of his hands gripping Zim's shoulder to keep him from falling over. As he found a good position to do so from, Dib knelt down, slipped his right arm under Zim's knees, and his left arm was spread across Zim's shoulder blades, his hand gripping Zim's left upper arm. Dib then stood up straight as he held Zim against himself. He noticed Zim wasn't very heavy at all, this surprising him a bit.

Dib then looked up at Zackery, and smirked. Zack smirked back, then shot his laser gun at Kiya again as he started to rise. 'Thank you Zackery, for everything you have done for me.' Dib thought as he tried to think of a way out of this place. He opted after a couple of seconds, to just go into the hallway to get out of harms way for now.

Dib quickly rushed out of the room as Kiya lay on the ground from being stunned. He made his way down the hall, going slowly enough so he could make sure his grip on Zim was good enough, yet moving quickly.

Dib then slowed down as he notice that no Akrians were in the hallways, anymore. He slowed to a fast-paced walk, allowing himself time to think, something he wasn't able to do too much of this day. Dib decided to take this time to look Zim over, since he hadn't seen the Irken last night, found out he was an Irken this morning, and everything was just currently going insane right now.

Dib looked at Zim's face. He looked...peaceful, as though he were sleeping. Dib felt the Irken breathing against him, finding this feeling this to be weird. Zim's breaths felt slow as he inhaled, and his exhaling was quick. He noticed Zim's head had tilted down, towards his chest, so he easilly moved his hand from Zim's upper arm to his head, and tilted his head up a bit, Zim's head brushing up Dib's shoulder a bit more. Dib then moved his hand back to Zim's upper arm.

Then, Dib remembered Zim's PAK. Zim's PAK was at a slight angle, it was mostly downwards, a bit below Dib's arm, but also slightly outwards, away from Dib. 'If we happen to be attacked, I'll have to protect Zim's PAK. I don't know much about it, but I do know that it has some kind of major connection with his life somehow.' He though, noding a little to himself. 'I just hope we aren't attacked...' He mixed in with his thoughts.

Suddenly, a loud cracking sound cause Dib to jerk his head up, his spiked hair bouncing with his movements s his eyes bugged. The ceiling split open, and pieces of the metal started to fall all around him and Zim. With a yelp, Dib dodged around the falling metal with tiny hops. He jumped to the right, twice left, then took a big leap backwards.

With a relieved sight, Dib watched Rosey jump down from the ceiling. "DIB!" She yelled as she smiled. In her left hand was his combat knife and handgun, as her other hand held handgun ammunition.

"My weapons and ammo! Thanks, Rosey!" Dib exclaimed. He looked down at Zim in his arms, then looked back up at her. "I kinda can't take them at the moment, eheh..." He said nervously.

"It's fine." Rosey said, reassuring her words with a small smile.

"Thanks." Dib said. He then let a sweatdrop overtake his large head. "So, uhhh....do you have my coat?" He asked timidly.

"No, I didn't even know you were missing it, actually." Rosey mentioned, receiving a sigh of frustration from Dib. "Anyways, you need to get on the Massive." She said, then turned towards the direction they were heading in. Her finger shot out. "Up ahead are a couple of Irkens. They will direct you onto the Massive." She explained.

"Thanks, Rosey!" Dib said.

"It's no problem." She said. "Now, I need to catch up to Zackery..." She said, then took off down the hall Dib came from.

"Alright, we need to get going ourselves, Zim." Dib said to the unconcious Zim in his arms. Well...he assumed Zim was unconcious, anyways. In reality, he had no idea what kind of state the Irken was in, but he was alive, so Dib figured he was in some kind of an unconcious state.

Dib started to move down the hall, pulling Zim a bit closer to himself as he moved. He noticed that...Zim was very warm. He kept Dib's bare arms warm, and he had to feel thankful for this. Dib let a small smile tug at his lips. 'Maybe...your not so bad, Zim...' He thought.

Soon, Dib spotted a short Irken down the hall. He quickened his pace, and soon reached the area that the Irken stood in. This Irken watched him as he spoke up in his timid, low voice. "You are the..human, who knows Zim, correct?" He asked slowly.

"Yes, Zim...I don't know what's wrong with him." Dib said as he walked directly in front of the Irken. He was a tad shorter than Dib.

"Let me take a look..." He started to say, ad he tilted Zim's head to the left a little, allowing him to see the Irken's face a bit more. "He appears to be unconcious..." He then released Zim's head, and crouched, looking at the PAK. "Though....his PAK has been a bit damaged, it should heal up." He rose as he continued to speak. "This isn assuming he doesn't take anymore damage."

"Uhh..." Dib looked around, feeling slightly panicy. "Can we get on the Massive, now?" He asked.

"Oh, yes. Just come this waa-"

The ship suddenly shook hard, and Dib looked down as felt himself starting to fall down. Before he could understand what was happening, his feet had slipped through the flooring. 'It's Kiya!' He thought as a translucent pink ball wrapped around himself and Zim, shielding him and Zim as they fell through space. The two fell straight down, through the cockpit as the shield faded, until they reached the bottom of the cockpit. Then, the falling stopped, and Dib collapsed on the floor, falling on his ass as Zim slumped in his unbalanced arms.

Dib's eyes then grew huge as he looked down at Zim. In his mind's frenzy, he thought Zim's PAK hit the ground, so he slid his hand downwards, across the PAK very lightly, feeling it was just off the ground. With a relieved sigh, Dib leaned back slightly, feeling cold metal touch his back. He ignored this, letting his head connect to it as well, and really feeling cold as he pulled Zim up.

He pulled Zim up, so that he was sitting on Dib's lap, his head against Dib's shoulder. He had to be sure Zim would be alright, since he hadn't much knowledge of the Irkens, he wasn't sure about what affected them. Dib sighed, lightly touching the PAK again, this time with two fingers. He slid his fingers across the PAK, feeling that it felt...like skin. It was fraile, and soft, and really made Dib curious.

As Dib moved his fingers, which he turned into his whole hand within seconds, across the Irken's PAK, he looked around the room the two boys were in. He could barely see anything, but he could just barely make out that it was huge. It was like some type of...cargo hold, or something, he figured as his hand rested on Zim's PAK.

Then, he suddenly felt immense pain across his stiched cheek, causing him to cry out. Zim had backhanded him in the dark, though he did not know this. "Human FILTH!!!" Zim cried out in the dark, then got up, brushing himself off. "What are you DOING?!!" He asked loudly.

Dib looked up, unable to actually see Zim in the darkness, but he saw a black figure at about his height, so he stared at this darker black. "Look, you were hurt, so I got you out of there!" Dib piped up. He then stood, brushing himself off as well. "We fell down here when we were about to board the Massive. I think that Kiya brought us here."

"Arrrrrgh!!" Zim growled out as he looked around the area. His eyes are much stronger than Dib's, and he is able to see in the dark much better than a human can. But, he of course sees better with his Irken goggles on.

Zim unleashed the Night Vision Goggles from his PAK, and looked around the area. "Dib, we need to locate a way out of here, and reach the Massive." Zim said.

"I know that, but I can't see anything in here at all." Dib said.

"HAH! Inferior HUMAN!!!" Zim yelled, then started laughing as he finished looking around the area.

'Yeah, easy for you to say, when you know nothing. I'm....half human, yes, but also half....'

"Dib! There's a door over there." Zim said, pointing towards the left.

Dib stayed quiet as he gave Zim a frustrated look. "I can't see ANYTHING, Zim! Not even you!" He yelled.

"Really?" Zim asked.

"Yes!" Dib piped.

"Hmm...ohh, stupid human." Zim said, sounding frustrated.

Dib heart the small clinking and clattering of Zim's Spider Legs unleashing from his PAK. Then, he felt Zim hoist him up into the air by his shoulders. Dib hug from Zim's grasp, who immediatly let a sour look spread across his features.

"Why are you so heavy?!" Zim yelled at Dib.

"I'm heavy? I barely eat anything!" Dib exclaimed.

"Well, you ARE!" Zim grunted.

Zim's Spider Legs carried the two to the door. Two of those legs lifted up to the door, and Dib watched in amazement as blue fire blasted forth. They started to melt this metalic door, Dib able to see that it was completely bolted shut.

'Zim is very light...how is he able to hold me if he's so much lighter than me?' Dib wondered. 'Maybe...it's like how an ant can hold two times it's own weight? I wonder what Irk, his homeworld, is like?'

A big part of the door suddenly fell to the floor with a loud bang, which turned to a tad bit of a loud clatter until it settled on the floor. "Alright Dib, just stick with me, and do as I say!" Zim commanded.

"I know." Dib responded.

Then Zim, swiftly and quickly, rushed through the door, and down the long hallway. He halted his movements as he reached another door like the previous one. "What on Irk?!" Zim exclaimed as he glared at this door.

Then, a small laughter arose from an intercom. It was Kiya's voice. "This is the punishment you two will suffer for....killing our leader. The Akrians will have their vengence on you. I, along with the other sub leaders will return to beat you down....I hope you enjoy crashing and burning on Akrious." He said.

Suddenly, the ship started to shake rapidly. The intercom made a loud, sharp noise, then it turned off. Zim looked down at Dib who in turn looked up at him. "We must get to the Massive, quickly!" Zim said.

The, Zim started to use two Spider Legs to create another hole in the door. Dib stared at Zim's wrist as he worked quickly. He then touched a tiny button on the watch around Zim's wrist. Zim ignored him as Dib saw a screen form before him. The screen was translucent, and it glowed with a light blue light, very dimly, but it was enough for him to see this map clearly. He stared at the pink dots on it, which were at the top. There was one that was bigger then the rest, and aside from that they were located in the white dot at the very center. This dot was absolutely huge.

'We must be on their biggest ship! The mothership!' Dib thought. There was a very tiny green and black dot in the white dot. They were at the botton of the dot. 'So, this is why we are down here...Kiya wants to kill us for killing Akria! But...where is Zackery and Rosey..?' His mind questioned.

~The Massive~

"Zackery!" Rosey called to her brother. "You can't die on me....not yet." She said.

Zackery stood beside Rosey. He was pale, and she looked at him with sadness in her eyes. "Professor Membrane....I know you wanted me to bring Dib home safely....but I can't." Zackery said into one of the communication devices that Dib had in his room. This was the one that disappeared.

Zackery's navy hair was dirtied with the blood of Akria and Kiya, as were his clothes. Rosey's clothes were soaked in black blood. Zackery was shaking badly as he was dying, but he was still standing strong. Rosey looked a bit paler than usual, but she wasn't at the same point as Zackery just yet. The two sat in a room where three Irkens worked at machines as they manned the Massive. In this room were a few Irken beds, one of which Zackery sat on, and he sunk down on it pretty far. His sister stood diagonal of him as he held the communicative device. His hair was strewn down, covering his eyes.

"Ah...that boy needs to come home....Zackery, Rosey, I'm sorry." Professor Membrane said on the other line.

"And Gaz...what of her?" Zackery asked, his hands trembled with weakness.

"Brother..." Rosey said slowly.

"I'm alright, I will not die just yet...but my end is nearing, yes." Zackery said, pulling his fingers through his black bloodied hair as he spoke. "What of Gaz, dad?" He asked again.

"....Her condition is now critical...." He said slowly.

"...Damn...." Zackery hissed. He then looked up at Rosey. "We need to be with her." He said, receiving a strong nod from her.

~With Zim And Dib~

The third door the duo had come across fell to the thin feet of Zim's Spider Legs, and he quickly moved onwards. Zim's grip on Dib's shoulders was strong as he moved forth. Dib stared up at the map, they were still close to the bottom of the mothership, and that just wasn't good with all of the commotion outside.

"Dib, if we don't make it out of here soon, with the way the ship has been rocking, we could end up crashing on Akrious." Zim said, figuring to mention this as he manuvered quickly still. The two were currently past the bolted doors, and nearing one of the halls.

"That would totally suck." Dib spat. "You might die, since it's all water there....in fact, I could die, too!" Dib said as he realised these facts.

"What? How could you die if your human? Humans can withstand water, can they not?" Zim asked, confused as he finally reached a hallway. He moved down the star lit hallway quickly as his goggles retracted into his PAK.

"A human can touch and drink water since our bodies are made up of water mostly. BUT, we can't breathe under the water!" Dib exclaimed. "If we crash and the ship fills with water, we are both screwed!"

"Oh, we that's just GREAT!! I don't want to die with you, Dib! I want to live on as an Invad-"

Zim cut himself off as the ship violently shook. This shaking was so bad, that Zim's Spider Legs slipped out from under him, and he suddenly toppled over to the right. Zim slammed his head on the wall to their right as Dib hit his shoulder against it. As Zim and Dib hit the wall, Zim's claws released Dib, and both boys fell downwards. Zim, since he has his Spider Legs, he immediatly used them to stop his fall before he hit the ground. As for Dib, he collapsed onto the floor pretty hard.

Zim then made himself stand up staight and tall with his Spider Legs. He hovered over Dib. "Dib, are you alright?" Zim asked.

Dib slowly pushed himself up off the floor, then brushed himself off. "I'm freezing cold, I'm hungry, I'm thirsty, I'm exhausted, I'm in pain, a good portion of my blood was drained out of me earlier, and I lost my coat earlier, and you as me if I'm OKAY??!!!!" Dib screamed at the Irken. "NOO!! I'm not okay!" He added.

Zim mearly blinked at him. "Boy, do I have some stories for you, later..." He murmered to himself.

"What was that, Zim?!" Dib yelled.

"Nothing, Earth monkey!" Zim snapped back. He never liked to take any crap from people, and with the history he shared with Dib, he refused to take anything from him.

The ship shook a little bit. Dib looked at the screen still emitted from Zim's watch-like device. "Zim! Most of their ships have been wiped out! The Irken armada are going to focus on this one more! With the way this ship has been shaking, it's only a matter of time before it can't fly anymore! If the engines or any of the back burners are hit, we're done for!" Dib cried out.

"I guess that is the case....but why should I help you?" Zim asked. "I could escape in no time if I were to go alone..." He said, slowly.

Dib quickly bit his lip. 'I can't tell him I'm Irken...that would be a mistake...right?' He wondered. "L-look Zim! You need me! You know you do! Please help me out of here, I'm not as fast as you are with your Spider Legs!" Dib exclaimed.

"Hmm..." Zim thoughtfully scratched his chin. 'I...see no point in keeping him around. In fact, if I let Dib die now, I can take Earth. The Akrians have been deminished to basically nothing, anyways. Besides....Dib really couldn't care less about me, anyways.' Zim though, his thoughts bringing him back to Halloween, and being left for dead. 'I can give him back his own medicine, now.'

"Zim, please take me with you..." Dib begged. 'I don't want to die just yet...'

"Ha ha! Sorry, DIB! I have no use for you, anymore! Let's see how you like being left behind." Zim said, then started to cackle.

'I...I have done some cold things to Zim. Is this...my punishment?' Dib wondered. "Please Zim....don't let me di-"

The ship suddenly shook, and it started to tilt, tilting until it was completely at an angle. Dib started to slide across the metal floor, but then he walked towards the direction it tilted. Zim mimiced his motions. When the ship stopped tilting, Dib and Zim stood with their feet and Spider Legs on the floor, and on the wall. They stared at each other, practically parallel to each other.

"Give me one good reason to save you, Dib." Zim said.

"....You.....your....." Dib couldn't really say what Zim was to him, anymore. He didn't know for sure. Zim mattered to him, but for what purpose? He'd known Zim, Zim communicated with him, bothered with him, when almost nobody else did. But they are enemies! The fact that Dib is Irken, though....that changes things a lot. But...what did it mean now?

"You appear to have no reasons as to why I should save you, Dib. This in turn gives me no reason to save you. We'd only go back to being enemies fighting over Earth, and that would be pointless. If I just kill you here, then I can just take the Earth for the Irken Empire. I find many more pluses for leaving you to die than I do for saving you, Dib!" Zim explained his side of the board.

'What do I say to that? He has perfect reasons for letting me die...but I don't want to die yet! My life on Earth...it's never felt right. Maybe....maybe I am not meant to live on Earth? Maybe I'd be better off being with the Irkens? Perhaps....even traveling through the worlds? I mean....what is the point in being on Earth, anymore? What was the point in the first place? It doesn't click...and only Zim's presence has ever really made sense to me. I'd be happier visiting other planets as a paranormal investigator...it would be really intriguing! But....what should I do about Zim? He wants me to die here! Wait.....that's it....I think I know what to say! I really do!! Ohhh, please let this work!!!'

Dib shut his eyes as he took a very deep, long breath, then let it out twice as slowly. His eyes snapped open as his head rose, the shine from the stars in space reflecting from his glasses, enhancing Dib's stern eyes. "I am part human, and part Irken, and as long as you do not enslave the humans I permit you to take Earth for the Irken Empire." He said loudly and clearly.

Zim went completely mute as he gaped at Dib, this being something Dib had never seen Zim do, ever. '........Dib....is Irken? When? How? WHY?! He's ALLOWING Earth to belong to the Irkens?! Since when has this happened?!! Is Dib INSANE??!!!' His mind screamed out of confusion.

Then, both Irkens suddenly flew against the ceiling as the Akrian mothership started to fall fast towards Akrious. They landed beside each other as the ship plummeted. Both were too disoriented, to confused, and in far too much pain to speak, anymore as they fell towards the planet made completely of water...

* * *

  
So, I thank you all for the long wait! The story will be taking a huge turn here, and I hope you all enjoy it! Again, I thank you guys for your patience, and expect this story to have a lot more to come, because I am going to REALLY make things twist! ^^


	11. Akrious, The World Underneath

The Irken And The Earthling's War And Love  
Chapter 11  
~Akrious, The World Underneath~  
_[ZaDr]_

"There we go, all done." The tall-but-still-shorter-than-the-Almighty-Tallest Killroy said as he pulled his hands away from GIR's mended arm.

"YAAAAAY!!!! I can hold my piggy again!" GIR cheered.

"Your master Zim...I wonder where he went." Clamps said aloud.

"Yeah, did he get on the mothership to fetch some alien or something?" Killroy asked.

GIR laughed a little. "I don't know....now, I want my taquitos!!" He exclaimed, rasing a bit of a chuckle from the two Irkens.

~The Massive, Bridge~

"So..what happened to Zim?" Purple asked Red.

"I don't know...." Red said, slowly and thoughtfully. He then turned to one of the four Irkens near him, his hand showing out towards this male. "Did the Irkens in the mothership get out?" He asked sternly.

"Yes, they got out, but one of them suffered PAK damage and is currently being treated in the Sick Bay." The addressed Irken explained.

"Did Zim escape it?" Red asked.

The Irken lowered his head a bit. "I'm sorry sir....the ship crashed on Akrious, and as far as we know, he, along with the large headed alien, were inside of the ship as it fell." The Irken said, his purple eyes glimmering softly in the glowing lights of the control panels and walls of the room.

"Now wait...did the ship actually crash, and break apart?" Purple asked.

"...Yes, it broke apart in huge pieces. The debris scattered in a lot of seperate areas." This Irken said.

"Did it crash in the water?" Tallest Red asked quickly.

"Yes, it crashed sorta deep in the ocean, beside a body of land named a beach. All of the land in Akrious is covered in sand, and there isn't much land there, anyways. But even if they somehow escaped the ship, the weather conditions are so harsh they probably won't live through it. The only chance they have is to escape the ship, get on land, and get down into one of the aquadic city paths. If they manage to get down into there, we could send some of our Irkens into the aquatic city and take them. We'll need to send some down there to inspect the areas anyways, and to take control of the population. They may be able to help us with defenses against water, and other such things, and they are quite strong creatures, so they would be a great asset to the Irken Empire." The Irken explained.

"Shik, thank you." Red said, then took a small breath, letting it out in a huff as his arms folded behind his back. He then turned towards the large screen, facing away from the four Irkens as Purple stared at him with confused eyes. "Shik."

"Yes Sir!" The Irken who previously spoke straightened up as he stared up at Red. This Irken was skinny but would tower over Zim by about three inches.

"Shinx." Red's stern voice called out.

"Yes, my Tallest Red." Another male Irken said, already standing strongly before the two towering leaders. This one was even taller than other, and his red coat that matched the hues of his eyes was a sign that he was a higher up, and one that worked on the Massive.

"Lexi." Red piped.

"Yes Sir!" A much shorter female Irken spoke up, her voice high pitched and awkward as she spoke. She had big bright purple eyes and was so short she reached half way up Zim's upper arm.

"Cola." Red called the last name.

A fat Irken just slightly taller than Zim by nor more than 1/3 of an inch took one step forth. "I am listening!" He said excitedly as he fisted his hand in mid air, then slowly drew it down. His voice was very bizzare with a sharp edge, and it was higher in pitch than Zim's. His eyes were a deep shade of forest green, an Irken eyecolor that wasn't seen very often at all.

"I am sending the four of you to Akrious. Round up a large group of Irkens and SIR Units, then go down to Akrious. Deal with the Akrians, and start making them work for us. If you find Zim and Dib, bring them aboard our ships. If you find them both dead, then report to me immediatly. Also, don't stay on land, and instead I want you all to go into the world underneath Akrious. The land Akrians can stay there, they'll all die off anyways. The one beneath are smarter and stronger than the ones on land, because they aren't on the brink of death. Map out the area before you land, so you do not fall to the horrid weather." Red ordered.

"Yes my Tallest!" The four Irkens said in unison as they straightened up proudly with a repectful salute.

~Irk~

"You there! What are you doing?!" A tall Irken wearing a long red coat that contradicted his purple eyes called out.

A shorter Irken that would appear taller than Zim froze in their perfected walk. This Irken was wearing a black cloak, the hood of the cloak covering the Irken's head. "It is none of your business." The Irken responded in a hushed voice, so low that the only thing that could even slightly identify this Irken was the odd bit of strange accent that was slurred into this one's voice.

The red coated Irken ran in front of the cloaked one, towering over this one and standing in front of the archway, blocking the cloaked Irken's pathway. "I cannot allow you to enter this area. You as well as any Irken should know that it is restricted." He said sternly.

"....That's what you think. You weren't the one called here, though." The cloaked Irken's hushed voice explained.

"What do you mean?" The taller Irken asked.

The cloaked Irken slipped a black gloved claw into their pocket, then pulled out a letter. The Irken stepped forward once, letter stretched out towards the other. The Irken wearing red let his purple eyes widen as he gripped the letter lightly. "Th-the Tallest sent you..?" He asked.

"Yes, and for important reasons..." The hushed response was gifted as the taller Irken turned around immediatly, and started to lead the cloaked one into the archway. This archway lead to the Center Sector of Irk's World Control Center, and only authorized personel was allowed inside Irk's World Control Center in the first place, the Center Sector was TIGHT with its security, and for good reasons.

~The Massive, Bridge~

As Shinx and Cola recruited Irkens to accompany their tiny group to the planet below the Armada, Lexi was busy getting ships together for their growing group to run down to the planet. This left Shik with the Tallest, who both faced the huge screen in stronger stances.

"So....their mothership crashed with Zim and Dib aboard it, correct?" Red asked aloud, after a few seconds of silence.

"Yes Sir." Shik said.

"When did they crash?" Red asked.

"....Approximately 2 Minutes ago, my Tallest." Shik's voice rang out.

~Akrious~

Dib broke the suface of water which was quickly filling the mothership. He looked around frantically, swiftly turning around to face Zim's direction. They had mear minutes before the water would fill the entire hallway and drown them...or at least that was Dib's case. He looked down to see Zim struggling, unable to even swim as his entire body formed swelling bumps at a rapid pace. Dib was just glad the ship wasn't falling anymore, because that was making it fill up faster after they hit a rock before they reach the bottom.

Dib swam down to Zim, who tried to move backwards in the water. 'He'll hold me down here untill I die from the water! I just know it! He wants me to die, because I wanted him to die!!!' Zim's mind screamed as he was concerned about nothing but his own life at this point in time.

Dib ignored Zim's movements away from him as he grabbed Zim's sleeve. He pulled Zim over to him, then tugged Zim's arm around his own shoulders. He wrapped an arm around Zim's waist, so he had a better hold on him, and secretly Dib was thankful for Zim's light weight.

Dib swam up to the upper half of the hallway they were currently in. He broke the surface along with Zim, and their heads and shoulders were now out of the water.

"Di-Dib...why are you-" Zim started weakly, but Dib cut him off.

"This is...for the Halloweenies, and leaving you behind that time." Dib said quietly, his head lowering. Zim shuddered with burning pain, though he resisted the urge to cry out in pain.

Zim was..quite shocked with that one. 'I remember when he left me to those Halloweenies....Irk, I hate Halloween....but I remember how angry I was with him. Yet...he's actually willing to help me. But why? I was going to leave him for dead this time...so why would he-'

Zim thoughts were interupted by Dib's voice. "My guess is that this ship crashed near shore. It didn't fall for long, and not vey fast, either. We might make it to the surface above." Dib's head rose as he spoke.

Dib then started to swim to the side a bit, down the hallway. He held Zim close, who burned with pain as Dib swam forth. Dib then stopped as he realised something about the ship. The ship was upside-down. The ceiling of this hallway was below them. Zim, who burned in pain, glared at Dib who just kept the two afloat in their current spot.

"Grrr, DIB!! What are you doing?!!" Zim yelled.

"The ship is upside down..." Dib whispered.

"What, are you serious?!" Zim cried out. "DAMMIT DIB!!! I'M BUNING TO DEATH!!! IT HURTS!!!" Zim screamed at the boy.

Dib gritted his teeth, his hold on Zim tightened, and he started to swim down the hall. Zim pressed his head against Dib's chest. "You'd better get us out of here." He growled as he wrapped his arm around Dib's waist.

"I'll get us out of here, Zim. Believe me." Dib stated as he continued to swim. "I just need to see if there's a hole in here somewhere." He muttered aloud.

"A hole..?" Zim asked weakly. His burning was getting bad. Zim then Unleashed a single Spider Leg from his PAK. "Dib...I need you to use it.." im said. "I have to conserve my strength..."

Dib stared down at Zim, who was looking down with eyes which formed slits. He then grasped the Spider Leg which Zim had brought near Dim's freed left hand. He quickly grabbed it, and the tip suddenly burst aflame.

Dib turned the blue flames towards the wall. Since they were in one of the tubes, they would be facing water no matter what side they decided to escape the ship from.

As Dib tediously, yet as quickly as the flame would permit, burned the metal, water started to pour into the ship though the melted metal.

Dib kept his head up as he worked...but what went through his mind contradicted whis body language. "Zim...I'm sorry about everything I've done to you." He said quietly.

This made Zim's eyes widen. He jerked his head up to look at Dib's face, who kept his head up, which allowed Zim to see only Dib's cheek and jaw. "You-You're what?" Zim asked quietly.

"I've been...a serious jerk to you. My life...hasn't been easy, but it's no excuse." Water was now pouring down Dib's shirt and onto his head as he spoke. "Alright, let's just concentrate on surviving." Dib said.

Zim watched as the flames neared the hole's begining burns. "Dib....your-"

"Forget it." Dib said.

Then, the flame connected just barely with the remainder of the metal, when the water blasted inside through this hole. The metal from the rigid hole Dib created flew forward, the flat side of it hitting him in the stomach, causing him to gasp as he doubled over in pain. Hurling over made the very hot, rigid metal press against his upper stomach and lower chest, causing him to scream loudly. Zim gripped Dib tightly as Dib was more focused on his pain, but his focus on his pain made him start to sink down into the water more.

'Stupid human!!' Zim thought, ignoring the want to ponder about Dib being Irken. He quickly grabbed the metal and pulled it away from Dib, then tossed it aside, ignoring the heat through his fire resistant gloves. He then felt Dib's graps on him lighten, and between having to grab the metal and actually throw it, and the burning pain overtaking his Irken body, Zim wasn't able to hold out for much longer. He slooped, and suddenly started to sink below.

Zim kept sinking below, no Dib to help him. With the new hole, the water was gushing into the ship, so the air was running out, and fast. Dib was at the surface. 'Oh man! Zim just helped me, and in doing so, he's practically allowing himself to die! I can't leave him! He's helped me out so many times! More than I took the time to realise before! We may have been enemies before, but even so...maybe we can work out an agreement. Besides...something about Zim...makes me feel...complete..?'

Dib quickly took one last breath, knowing this was the last one he could take. 'If I can just save Zim...that will be enough. I need him to live.' Dib thought as he started to swim down as fast as his arms and legs would permit.

Zim reached the floor of the ship, sprawling out as his body connected with it. Apparently, though Irkens are light in weight, they sink like rocks. Zim's red Irken eyes were open in very small slits. '....I've failed my Tallest as an Invader. I will never feel the luxury of retirement. I will die here....alone. Why...does this have to hurt som much? I've known it....ever since I was a Smeet. I would never amount to anything great....but I wanted to try. I wanted....a place to belong. Somewhere....with some purpose. I feel like....one half of me....is missing. Why....what is it........Dib..?' His eyes completely closed. 'That weird human....I guess he's really got his wish, hasn't he? I guess...I don't blame him for leaving me here. I was trying to kill him and take his planet, after all. So why....does this feel so........lonely..?'

Zim then felt a hand grasp his shoulder, pulling him up off of the floor. He felt a right arm wrap around his shoulders, and then he was suddenly rising up. He opened his eyes slowly, and looked up weakly, to see Dib swimming with Zim tightly and firmly in his hold.

"..Dib..?" Zim called weakly. Though Zim needed to breathe, he could breath in any location that has some type of air or substance. His PAK had the ability to transform any air or substance into his own kind of air. It also had the ability to store air for him in case he needed it in locations where he could not breath, such as space. That is also why the helmet forms around his head in space, because he requires air as well, but his PAK is able to supply it for him through storage from collection. In this water, the PAK is allowing him air, but Dib was a different story, though Zim didn't really understand this completely.

Dib swam up to the hole, and as he did, Zim wrapped his arm around Dib's waist tightly. Dib then swam through the hole, and started to swim up. 'I have to break the surface! Not just for me, but for Zim!' His mind screamed as he kept moving swiftly through the water.

'Dib....why?' Zim wondered weakly.

Dib kept on swimming, though his face was turning blue. 'Air! Zim! Life!!!' He kept swimming, and the more he swam, the lighter the water seemed to become. 'Almost there...'

Then, the water at the surface of the ocean exploded as the two emerged. The water that shot up from their fast movements came showering down, and with the high winds the water swirled magnificently in the air around the two.

Dib immediatly gasped as a wave which towered over his short height by at least two times suddenly swept over them, and pulled the two below the surface. The pressure caused Dib's glasses to fall off his face, his strong grip on Zim to slip, as Zim's already weak grip to mearly let go at the touch of the wave.

'NO!!' Dib's mind called as he immediatly caught Zim by his wrist. He reached with his other hands for his glasses, and slid them on his face quickly. He then snapped his head down at Zim. For only a few seconds, Dib saw how messed up Zim was. His body was steaming, bumps covered his skin all over, and he was extremely fatigued. Dib gave the alien...a sympathetic look with his burnt-orange eyes.

He then pulled Zim towards him, Zim so out of it that he could do nothing about allow anything. Dib swam up, breaking the surface with Zim. He then looked around, and when he turned to his right...he saw the beach was nearby. He started to swim towards that direction, the wind whipping his face harshly, though he fought this. With his eyes tightly sqeezed, he carried the wiped out Irken with him. He didn't stop, his legs and free arm striking at the rough sea. It was hard on him, and he figured it was harder on Zim. All the half human, half Irken could do, was keep moving, keeping his own head as well as Zim's above the water as they drew closer to the beach.

Then, a wave formed behind the two, and pushed them forward, causing Dib and Zim to collapse on the sandy shore. The water shifted around Dib's body, seeping just a little bit into his heavilly drenched shirt and jeans, and flowing between his fingers. He pushed himself up onto his hands and knees as he looked over at Zim. Zim just laid there, his back facing Dib as his limp body remained very still.

Dib gripped his head with his hand as a ringing filled his ears. He stared at Zim, feeling his stomach drop as he felt the world moving beneath him awkwardly. 'What...does this remind me of..?' He wondered vaguely. 'Is he..?'

An image of his mother's grave flashed in his mind, causing Dib to sink low to the ground. He shook his head very violently, then got up quickly, though off-balance. He staggered over to Zim as quckly as his worn out feet would allow. The wind was not helping, as sand was being whipped around his frame, forcing him to guard his face with his arm, and struggle to walk with his own weakness.

Zim suddenly flinched, then shifted uncomfortably, as a moan of pain arose from his weakened form. Dib continued to walk forward, and when he was only a mear few steps from Zim, he finally fell down to his left knee and right foot. "Zi...Zim..?" Dib called, his voice low, a tad bit horse, and quite quiet.

Zim, very slowly, got up off the ground, and rose to his feet, his back facing the Dib. He then slowly turned around, his eyes hold a deep, burning ruby color to them. "Dib...I should be asking you that." Zim said.

Zim walked over to Dib at a normal pace, then dropped down on one knee before the human. Dib shifted to having both knees on the sandy ground. "...Zim...." His tired voice called. 'I want to tell him that he should just...leave me to die here...I don't deserve this life...I don-'

Zim's claw gripped Dib's shoulder tightly as he pulled the human up onto his shakey feet. "Dib, because of you...I'm alive. I have to get you to safety...because....you're the only one who has ever done anything like that for me. Nobody has....ever....done something like this for me, before..." Zim admitted nervously, his voice quiet compared tro the rushing wind, but Dib heard every word of it, even in his state.

"........Zim.........." He let the world slide from his mouth quietly.

Then, Zim's Spider Legs unleashed, his grip on Dib's shoulder remaining steady as the two were pulled up high into the sky. He turned Dib carefully, making Dib face him, and his free Irken hand extended to his other shoulder. With this firm grip, he held Dib at a good distance from himself, but by doing this, he used Dib as a wind shield, as well as keeping Dib's face clear of the sand that moved around.

Zim's Spider Legs started to walk quickly, taking the Irken and human towards the land. "We need to find some type of shelter." Zim said to Dib over the loud, howling wind.

They moved onward, Zim looking around, to the left to right around Dib, searching for someplace to go to. He then gasped as he spotted something he wasn't expecting. He saw a parked Voot Cruiser.

"They're here! They're HERE!!" Zim exclaimed.

"Who's..?" Dib asked slowly in his quiet, tired voice.

"Heeeeyyyy!!!!!" A voice called, drawing Zim's eyes to the right of the Voot Cruiser. "Over heeerree!!!!!!" The voice shouted.

Zim's Spider Legs moved so fast that Dib, out of surprise, grabbed Zim's right sleeve with his right hand. As they moved towards the Voot Cruiser, Zim spotted a blue, metal circle impaled into the sandy ground.

He arrived in front of this strangely placed circle. Dib watched Zim's anntenas twitch a little, and with the big round eyes of Zim, he found this reminded him of a child. He then shook his head just slightly. 'What am I thinking?' His mind asked. 'Zim is around my age, is he not?! He's not a little kid!'

Then, the circle split open, from the center. It slowly opened up, until the two metalic parts were completely off of...what was now revealed to be a hole. Inside the hole, was a blue, metalic, cylinder-shaped, small area, with blue bars that crawled up the cylinder's side to the sandy surface that Zim's Spider Legs stood upon. But what also stood below in the hole, was an Irken who smiled up at the two boys, and she waved them down.

"Com'on! It's safe down here!!" The high-pitched feminine voiced out.

With a nod, Zim quickly used his Spider Legs to climb down the long ladder built of blue bars. The metal was slippery against his Spider Legs metal, so he would not be able to scale the curled wall, and instead he used the ladder. It was still slippery against the slightly hooked feet of the four Spider Legs, but Zim was quite skilled with the metal appendages.

As he reached the blue flooring, the metal circle's halved locked together, forming a lid on the area. The wind and swirling sand was now away from them as Zim lowered Dib onto the floor. He placed his shakey feet down, but he did stumble, though just slightly.

Dib stepped away from Zim as he planted his own feet on the metal. He then retracted the Spider Legs into his PAK, and shook his sandy head a little. The two boys felt disgusting, both still quite wet with sea water and sweat, and really dirty with sand and blood covering their bodies and clothes. Zim was still steaming even, as the purple-eyed Irken looked on in distress.

"Come with me, we need to get the both of you cleaned off." She said. She then trotted over to the only doors in the area. Beside these metal doors that matched the interior's colors was a big, darker blue button. She pressed it quickly, then trotted inside the are, Zim and Dib following her without a second thought.

They walked down a narrow hallway, built of the same material as the cylinder was. This hall was very narrow, void of windows, doors, just a hallways with the limination of circular, dark blue metal lining the ceiling of the hall. These circles emitted a dim light.

"So..." Zim started to say as they walked. "What is the Empire planing with this place?" Zim asked the Irken."

She smiled as she walked to Dib's side. She had been walking ahead of the two, but now, she was on Dib's left, and Dib was on Zim's left. "Well...they were thinking of using the Akrians for research, but they can't." She said.

"Why?" Dib asked, though directly after, he felt out of place saying it.

The female Irken's smile shrunk a bit as she spoke up. "We learned from two aliens that...we must destroy them all. Killing the leader isn't enough." She explained.

Both Zim and Dib halted in their tracks. "What does it take, then?!" Dib's tired voice yelled as loudly as he could.

"They said there's...some type of core that must be annahilated. Once it's destroyed, all of the Akrians will die. This core...is like a lifeline to the Akrians, he said." The Irken explained as she stopped walking. She then turned around to look at the two boys.

Dib looked down at his hands, watching mindlessly as they shook hard. '....The Heart....is the core? Is that it, Gaz? My blood...restored strength into their leader....what would it do to that...core? Heart? What-'

Dib suddenly jumped at the feel of Zim's claw gripping his shoulder. He jerked his head up to Zim, who shook his head slowly at him. "We'll talk this over later, Dib. Let's follow, uhh..."

Zim was cut off by the Irken. "My name is Lexi." She perked.

"...Lexi, then when we're in better conditions than this, we'll discuss our next move, alright?" Zim suggested.

Dib felt himself go mute, then he slowly nodded his head twice. They started to move ahead again, and they walked down this narrow hall, they suddenly reached a door, and stepped through it. They were in an area that left all three of them amazed. They walked forth, into an area made of special glass that would not break with ease at all. This area was enormous, so large, that it was over the size of an Irken city, which would be about two times the size on an Earth city, at least. This area was amazingly large, and around them, on the outside of the glass, were many, many, many, various kinds of sea life, most of which the Irkens and the Earthling could not identify. Dib did recognize that there were a large amount of what reminded him of sharks swimming around them, though.

"Holy..." Dib breathed as he looked around himself in astonishment.

"I have never in my life....seen something....so...." Lexi started to say, looking this way and that.

"...So...much...water..." Zim let out nervously, rubbing his twitchy claws together as he shifted uncomfortably. This received a weird look from Dib.

Dib inhaled, about to say something to Zim, when he was cut off abruptly. "COLA!!!!" Lexi screamed, and barreled off towards a building where a small group of Irkens were gathered.

Zim tilted his head to the side, then shrugged, and followed after her. 'I guess I should go see what they are planning to do with this area. I want to return to the Massive quickly.' He thought.

Dib dropped his gaze to the metalic floor below his feet as he frowned. '...I don't know why...but I don't feel welcomed here at all....what does this mean? I have Irken blood coursing through my body. It's...' He rose his gaze to the chatting Irkens as Zim and Lexi arrived. They all stood talking, laughing, one of them was drinking Irken poop cola. '...It's not bringing me closer to...anyone.'

"...So we'll just keep the Akrians here occupied for now. The Tallest told me to command you, and the human, to report to the Massive after you rest up in the Akrian hotel that is under our control. After a good rest, we'll send you to the Massive, and from there, the Tallest will direct the two of you." Shinx, the taller Irken with the long, red coat, explained to Zim.

"Alright, thank you, Shinx." Zim said, receiving a nod from the taller Irken. He then turned towards Dib, who was looking up at him with uncertain eyes. Zim's anntenas perked up slightly as he stared at Dib, who started to slowly walk towards the group.

"Zim." Shik, the purple-eyed, informative Irken called, grasping his attention. Zim turned his head towards the other male. "The hotel is right over there." He said, his pointed finger extending towards a building at his right. It was about 30 feet from where the Irkens stood, and Zim nodded, confirming he had locked onto its location.

"Thank you, Shik." Zim said with a nod, and the grouped together Irkens started to disperse. As only a couple of Irkens were still standing around, chatting with each other a little, one walking away, Dib reached Zim's side.

Zim looked up into the human's eyes as he stared intensly at Zim's. 'Am I...really part Irken?' Dib wondered. 'I just...I don't know if I feel Irken...'

"Come, Dib." Zim commanded simply, in a casual voice. He then started to walk towards the hotel, slipping his gloved claws into his soaked shirt's pockets. Zim quickly walked behind Zim, both of their minds racing through the thoughts on what to discuss when they were in...hopefully better attire.

'I hope they have some Irken clothes and preperations in there, since we'll be needing them, especially me.' Zim thought.

'...I hope I get something to eat and a shower...' Dib thoughts.

The two reached the wooden, double door side by side, and as Dib reached for the left door's handle, it suddenly swung open. Dib shifted back just in time for the wood to zip past him, and it banged into the buildings's metalic wall. A smiling, young Irken stood there. "Co..Come inside!" She yelped, then she bounded off to the right inside the building.

Zim strode inside, Dib following cautiously, slowly. The two were inside what looked like partially a cafe/bar, and an inn. There were stairs leading up on Dib's left as he softly used his foot to close the door behind himself. On the right was a small dining area with a bar.

Dib counted vaguely in his mind, finding that there were nine Irkens inside. The Irken behind the bar's counter pointed up, signaling to Zim that there was access to the Irken Life Suplies up there. Zim just shook his head, and bounded up the stairs. "Com'on, Dib!" Zim shouted as he reached the top, then walked down the hall on the second floor.

Dib cocked an eyebrow as he looked over at the bartender. "What was that about?" He asked.

"Oh, that's right, your not Irken, so you would not know..." The bartender, with his really low voice matching his fattened body, started. "Well, since the war with the Akrians arose and the invention of the PAK, Irkens have needed to soak their bodies in certain liquids each day. Skipping a single day makes us weaker, and it also makes us feel disgusting. It's like a human's shower or bath, except that it's for health problems, plus cleanliness." He explained as he sipped from an Irken-marked glass.

Dib went silent for a couple of minutes straight, thinking about how the Irkens seemed to have a much bigger role in the universe than he first thought. Also, he thought about how hard things seemed to be fo them. "....That war really messed up the Irken Empire, huh..?" Dib quietly asked, his voice so soft, he almost couldn't even recognize it himself.

The Irken looked thoughtful for a second, then let his face relax as he shrugged. "I guess. Irkens adjust well though, and we bounce back quickly. Irkens are raised to take shit well."

Dib felt himself twich at the cuss, then nodded quietly and starting up the stairs. He wasn't used to really strong cursing, and it made him feel awkward when he was around people cussing. The reason was because barely anyone cursed at Skool from fear of Mrs. Bitters rabidly attacking them for it, and he never grew up around much of it.

Dib arrived into the second floor hallway, and he walked down it slowly, listening to a few small conversations coming from chatting Irkens. One spoke of Irken defenses, another talked about a Slorbeast exploding the other day and it being all over the Internet. 'What...the...hell? What is a Slorbeast? Eck...I don't want to know...' Dib thought, shaking his head.

As he passed by one of the countless rooms he had already been walking by, he heard a voice call to him. "Dib! Over here! Stop! Come back!!" Zim's partially muffled voice arose from behind the barely cracked open door to Dib's right.

Dib stopped walking, and turned towards the door. He opened it, and saw Zim standing with two Irkens. One stood on his right, the other on his left. Both Irkens held tubes which were attached to hoses. The hosses were connected to these pink boxes that stood beside their feet. Their clawed fingers pressed and held down buttons on the tubes, and light green liquid shot from the hoses, showering Zim.

'So, that's what the bartender was talking about?' Dib thought as he brainlessly gawked at Zim as though he were an alien. 'Alien....me...' Dib lightly rembered as he tilted his head, his eyes shifting to the floor. He saw the green liquid flowing onto the metal like a miniature ocean, as he suddenly saw the liquid switch to blue. This made him do a double take up at Zim.

Zim just gave him one of his weird looks, confused at what the human was doing. 'Why is Dib so fidgity all the time? It's annoying!' Zim's mind scoffed as he crossed his arms.

Then, one of the Irkens, the Irken on Zim's left, quickly wore a playful grin as he looked up at Dib. He then turned the tube towards him, showering his disgusting body with the amazing Irken soapy liquid.

"Ahh!!" Dib cried from surprise as the liquid came down upon him. He thrusted his hands upo defensively at first as his eyes shut tightly, expecting some sort of searing pain...but he straightened up, dropping his hands and opening his eyes as he looked up at the Irken. The Irken chuckled at him, the other and Zim joining in as Dib stood there blinking in confusion. "It doesn't hurt at all....it's actua-"

"It's cleaning you, right?" Zim asked, cutting the human off mid-speech.

Dib nodded slowly. "Yes, it is." He said.

Zim smirked. "Well...apparently you really aren't complete human filth, then." He said.

"What do you mean?" Dib asked, confused at what Zim ment.

With a sigh, Zim straightened up as the liquid changed to a dark purple hue which surprised Dib. The hose showering Dib swapped to Zim, and changed to the same color as it reached his skin and clothing. "Although no actual research has been done with Irken medicine and other species, there was an incident a few years ago which promoted the study of our liquids, and their reactions to other creatures. There was a Vort who died from having scubooshi spilt onto his skin. Since you claim to be partially Irken though, Dib, it seems you have the affects of a normal Irken when you come in contact with scubooshi." Zim explained.

Dib looked down, seeing that all of the grime on both himself and Zim was floating in the mixing colors of green, blue, and purple. He let his mouth stretch out into a scowel as he walked backwards, out of the murky floor. He tapped his shoes a bit, trying to get off what he could.

The purple liquid died down until both tubes had been turned off. The two Irkens then took the tops off of their tubes, and they let the tubes slowly reach down to the floor. They then turned to the pink boxes, and they clicked buttons on the tops of the boxes. There buttons made the tubes start to suck up the murky water on the floor.

Dib found this to be very...intruiging. 'Irkens are really clean, high-tech creatures, aren't they? On Earth, a lot of the people aren't too smart, and though our technology is up to good standards, the planet is certainly not all that clean. Irkens on the other hand...they have everything under control.' Dib thought as one of the Irkens used the tubes to clean off his mucky shoes.

When the Irkens finished cleaning the two boys', their own, and the floor, they picked up the boxes and walked out of the room. Zim walked up to Dib's side, hands shoved in his pocket. They they were wet from the liquids, they were clean, and Dib felt as though he was drying faster than usual. "Let's go eat, I'm starved." Zim said to Dib, then started to walk towards the door.

Dib turned towards the door, and with a nod, he followed Zim out into the hall, and down the stairs. Dib stopped in his tracks as he watched Zim sit down on a stool at the bar. Dib then walked over to the stool on Zim's left, and he sat down a bit slowly, then folded his hands on the cold metal, resisting the urge to pull his hand away from its freezing, hard texture.

"Did you bring the Irken food supplies?" Zim asked the Irken that stood behind the counter.

"Yes, there's plenty right here." The Irken said as he placed his cup on the counter. He knelt down, and Dib, unable to see behind the counter, heard something open up. The Irken then stood upright, and in his left hand was a tall, skinny container of a bright orange liquid, and in his other hand was a brown package. He placed both on the table, then grabbed a couple of glasses for Zim and Dib.

"Is....is that Zasskalla?" Zim asked, pointing to the box.

"Yeah, it was prepared very well, might I add." The Irken mentioned.

Zim leaned over and gripped the box. He pulled it in front of himself, and pried the box's lid open. Dib peeked over to see that inside of the box was a large assortment of dark brown meat. The meat looked crispy, and it was chopped apart in bite-sized strips. Dib's eyebrow inched up in confusuion as he turned his head up to the ravenous Zim.

"...What in this galaxy is THAT?!!" Dib yelped, tossing his arms out in front of the box, and parting them like he was starting a magic show.

"It's Irken meat...it's FAR better than your Earth filth!" Zim snapped back as he reached inside the box. He pulled out a strip if meat, and stuffed it in his mouth. He chewed it slowly, then swallowed it easilly down. "So much better." He added.

Dib raised an eyebrow at Zim, who gawked at Dib oddly. "Zim....your so...weird. Your a weird person." He said slowly.

Dib glanced around, to see that the Irken that was behind the counter had left the room. There were two flirting Irkens, male and female, sitting together behind the two at a table, and aside from them, there was nobody else around.

Zim then shoved a piece of meat up in Dib's face, just in front of his eyes. "Try it." He commanded in his authorative, straight up voice.

Dib felt he was incredibly hungry at this point, as well as thirsty for sure. 'I guess I could try it...I'm so hungry.' He then took it, and popped it into his mouth. He chewed it, tasting it as he did so, and he found it to be...delicious. That was the word. It was cripy, yet juicy, such a contradicting mix that tasted like heaven. The other thing was, this meat tasted very fresh, and it was spicy, and Dib liked spicy foods, as well as sweet.

"This is....DELICIOUS! Absolutely delicious!" Dib exclaimed after he swallowed it down.

Zim smiled triumphantly as he crossed his arms, and straightened his posture. "Ha ha, yes Earth worm baby, of course the superior food of the Irkens is delicious. This just proves, yet again, that Irkens are better than any other race out there! Yes we are!!" Zim gloated.

Dib smiled a little before that smile slumped a bit as he looked back down at the box. 'Irken...how do I approach him as an "Irken" now? This is all just too weird..." Dib thought. He reached into the box, and popped another strip of meat in his mouth. The tastey food was now comfort food as he thought over what he was going to say to Zim.

The two stopped communicating, the only sounds heard were their munching and the conversing Irken couple behind them. They both just listened to them as the male talked to the giggling female about a fight that broke out on the Massive a couple days ago over a bag of chocolates.

Zim suddenly jumped up onto his feet, making Dib look over at him. Dib watched as Zim made his wasy to the other side of the counter. He crouched, and pulled up two glasses. He placed one by Dib's right hand, and Zim placed the other to the right of Dib's glass. He then made his way back to his seat, grabbed the container, and filled both glasses a little over half way.

"What's this?" Dib asked.

"It's an Irken juice called Chalacie, and it's incredibly sweet." Zim explained, then took a big sip of it from his cup.

Dib nodded, gripped his glass lightly, and brought it to his own lips. He drank some of it down, finding it to be indeed, delicious. He placed the cup down, and grabbed another strip of meat. The two continued to eat and drink, in a nice, quiet peace. When they finished up, Zim stretched with a small yawn.

"Alright human, follow me." Zim said. He hopped up out of his seat, and started to head towards the stairs. "We will sleep here. Be prepared, for when we awake, we will have a hectic day. With the way things have been, I'm sure of it." Zim said, then started to climb the stairs at a quick pace.

Dib hopped up off his seat, and ran up the stairs after Zim. The two made their way down the hallway, Zim once in a while running over to a door, opening it, looking around inside, then running back to Dib. They kept looking, until Zim opened a door where he saw two beds, side by side. "Over here." Zim called, then walked inside.

Dib entered the room, then shut the door behind himself. He walked over to the bed on the left, as Zim sat on top of the bed on the right. Zim took his boots off, one after the other, as Dib mimiced his actions. "Dib..." Zim spoke to the human softy as he slipped the second boot off his foot.

"Yes?" Dib asked, knowing full-well what they were going to talk about.

Zim moved over on his bed, so his back connected with the mattress, his head rested on the pillow, his legs were straight out, and his claws folded over his stomach. "....Your Irken..." He whispered.

With a sigh, Dib laid down on his left side, so he was looking over at Zim clearly, he lifted his head for a second, long enough to take his glasses off his face. He placed them on the nightstand beside the table, and pulled the covers over himself as his blurred vision remained on Zim. "...Yes, I am Irken." Dib answered, voice low and quiet.

"But how?" Zim asked, head tilting towards Dib slightly.

"....I was abducted...by the Irkens. This happened to me twice...what they did, I have no idea...." Dib explained, closing his eyes.

"Do you know anything about the abduction?" Zim asked.

-

_"It was an Irken leader named Blue who abducted you."_

-

The words entered Dib's mind, and he nodded at Zim. "....Someone..named Blue." He said.

"Blue?!" Zim asked. "Why would she do anything to an alien?!!" Zim asked.

"You know her?" Dib asked, eyes cracking open.

"No, but she was a Tallest at one point. She's...dead now, but when she lived, she was very loved!" Zim said.

Dib went mute as Zim stared at him with his improved Irken vision. Though he could not see him clearly in the dark, he saw him well. The short distance between the beds helped a lot, as well.

"...I'm sorry." Dib said. "I just..."

"I know Dib." Zim said, causing the human's eyes to widen a bit. "Everything is really screwed right now. Tommorrow, we will talk to The Almighty Tallest. We'll see what will happen from there." Zim explained, then pulled the covers at the end of the bed over himself, like Dib did previously. "Let's just sleep for now."

"Alright....thank you, Zim." Dib said.

'I was fine...thinking of what to say earlier, but now...I haven't the slightest clue. I can't....I can't think of what to say, what to ask. This is so awkward...the Tallest must have some answers. I'd like to talk to Tallest Red, but...I think he'll leave when I approach them of this matter, since it brings up the past. Tallest Purple...I hope you'll have some answers...' Zim thought as he tightly closed his eyes.

They both drifted off for a good seven hours, the hours drawing out to feel longer than usual as the peaceful slumber of the two continued on.

~Seven Hours Later~

Zim's eyes were the first to flick open, as he sat up, then took a quick look around before his vision reach Dib's sleeping form. "Dib! Wake up!" Zim called to the human, then turned away from Dib to pull his boots on.

Dib opened his eyes, allowing his vision to adjust to the lighting before he sat up. He stared over at the blurred Zim, then shook his head, and reached over to nightstand. He gripped his glasses, and slid them on his face, then proceeded with pulling his own boots on.

Zim on the other hand already finished putting his own footwear on, so he hopped up out of bed, and walked over to Dib so he stood diagonal of him. "Dib, right now, we must check in with Shik. We'll be riding aboard their Voot Cruiser, I'd imagine, so we must check to see if they are all prepared. They may be busy, when the Armada arrives at a planet things tend to get crazy, but we shouldn't exceed an hour and a half before we're on the Massive from now. Come, Dib." Zim said as Dib's final boot slid into position against the human's fraile skin.

"Alright." Dib responded simply. He stood from his seat on the bed, and the two quickly made their way out of the room, down the hall, and down the staircase. They arrived downstairs, and by the door stood Shik, who leaned against the door frame and gawked outside, bored out of his mind.

"Shik, when are we leaving?" Zim asked, grasping the Irken's attention.

Shik turned his head towards Zim, his expression slightly grim. "Probably about an hour from now. The ship was hit by a fallen tree, so it's being repaired as we speak." He explained.

"Damn..." Zim cursed under his breath, wanting to go to the Massive immediatly. He wasn't fond of any place other than an Irken invaded one. Though...his race was currently conquering this place, as could be told by the sounds of screaming, fighting, and resistance outside, he wasn't fond of being in places that weren't like his home. He didn't mind his base on Earth all that much, since it had plenty of Irken technolgy to surround him. 'Of course...nothing could ever compare to Irk itself. Nothing. Irk is perfect.' He thought.

"Hey, I could accompany you on a walk. I'd like to see more of this place. It's intriguing." Shik offered as he moved away from the door frame. He then gripped his right shoulder, and rolled his neck back and forth. "I'm so friggin bored just standing around..."

"That sounds good!" Dib responded. "I'm always interested in learning about space." He added as he started to walk of the door.

Suddenly, Dib's wrist was gripped in a tight, strong hold by Shik's claw. Dib looked up at the Irken on his right with confused eyes. Shik gaped as he stared into Dib's eyes, which shimmered in the dim glow from the walls around them. "You...your eyes scream Irken....why?" He asked.

"Wh...what?" Dib asked.

Zim's claw then gripped Dib's right shoulder, pulling him towards himself slightly. Shik took this as a sign to leave the human be, so he released Dib's wrist. "Sorry." He said, then walked out.

Zim breathed a bit harshly, then shook his head slightly as he released Dib's shoulder. He pushed the human's back lightly, causing Dib to start walking forward. Zim looked back over at the counter, then he started to walk outside the door.

The three were outisde, sea creatures all around the glass city in the ocean as they looked around, once again, they were astounded. Shik then started to guide them mindlessly, and they walked together, into the depths of the city they were in.

Dib and Zim found their focus was being tugged towards the Akrians that the Irkens were trying to calm down. There were various Akrians here and there in this metalic town that were fighting with Irkens, some which were arguing with one another, and all around no Akrian was happy.

Then, Dib's attention was drawn by something that made him halt in his tracks. His arm lifted as his pointed finger aimed at what he was looking at. "I-I-I-It's Ace!!!" He exclaimed.

Zim stopped, followed by Shik. Zim's eyes narrowed into a vicious glare, his red huges only enhancing it. He rushed past Dib, knocking into him and almost causing the human to fall over as he watched alongside Shik.

"YOU!!!" Zim screamed as he came to a sliding stop in front of the Akrian.

This is when Zim saw it. Ace's hands were in shackles. His confusuion grew as two Irkens arrived at his side. Both towered him by about a foot. "Zim, right? Don't worry, we have captured him, and we will be putting him to death." The taller Irken of the two explained.

"Uhh..okay, I'm fine with that, but why?" Zim asked.

The shorter Irken of the two gripped Zim by his shoulder, then pulled the short Irken aside, Zim moving with his force until he stood away from Ace, who just glared Zim down wordlessly.

"Ace will be put to death for a large amount of reasons. Murder, robbery, vandalism, and the worst was actually the most sacred law of the Akrians." The taller explained.

"Which was..?" Zim asked.

"Violation of their leader, a female, the worst possible act an Akrian could commit." He said.

"Huh?" Zim asked, not understanding what he ment.

The taller Irken sighed, knowing well how hard it was to explain a good amount of things to Zim, since he's dealt with Zim a few times in the past. "What I mean is, Akrians are low in their numbers, but there are so few female Akrians that it is hard to find even one. Violating one without being born as a breeder is forbidden, yet he's violated that law, and the pentalty is death."

"Oh, yes. Now I understand." Zim said, nodding his head softly with closed eyes for a split second. He then smiled widely up at Ace, who just sharpened his glare.

"Sir, would you like to say anything before he is decapitated?" The taller asked, clamly.

"Yes. Yes I would." Zim said, grin and eyes matching to form a devious face. Zim walked right in front of Ace, and staring up at him, he cleared his throat. "I am so glad you are disappearing. This leaves only three more objectives for us, then we'll be done with you Akrians for good. Well, have fun dying. Bye." Zim said heatlessly, then walked back over to Dib and Shik.

Ace was pulled away as Zim followed the two in his group. They walked around the town, seeing that it was clean, but feeling cold. The town was cold, and the metalic features of the area didn't help this feeling fade one bit. As they walked, Zim walking in front of Dib, Dib eyed his PAK, out of curiosity.

'I want to...know more. I want to learn more about the Irkens, their Empire, their home planet...everything. I need answers as to how I became Irken. Oh! I wish I could just reach those dissolved memories! I need to jog them, but for now, I guess we can just hop aboard the Massive, and speak with The Tallest. Will they accept me? My offer to hand over Earth, in exchange for not enslaving the humans? This is so...nerve-wracking.' Dib thought.

He continued to stare at Zim's PAK. 'I want to know...that PAK is all about. It seems really important...I want to know more about it, but I don't think he'd tell me much, himself. Huh...'

Zim felt the burnt orange eyes of Dib on his PAK, and it bothered him, causing his bizzare, light blue, slick sweat to flow down his face. He whirled around, Shik stopping to watch. "Why do you stare at my PAK? Do you have some type of problem with it?" He asked, his voice sharp, venemous.

"Uhh...no." Dib's voice squeaked out. He felt the Irken's rage practically crawling in his skin. Seriously, he felt the anger under his skin, in waves. 'This is...weird. I can tell how angry he is over this....I can FEEL it. Why?!' His mind yelled as he gawked at Zim's eyes.

Dib's nervous body language and staring only increased Zim's anger. He stepped two steps closer to Dib, bringing the Irken right into Dib's face. "If you had any consideration for a fellow Irken, you would not stare at his PAK. That is rude, and a disgrace. Do NOT stare at my PAK! Do you hear me, worm baby?!" Zim yelled, voice raising in pitch.

Dib nodded, wanting to calm Zim down before he did something rash. Dib knew he was going to do something stupid, he could tell.

Zim lifted his right hand, and wrapped the skinny fingers around Dib's throat. He applied slight pressure. "Every Irken requires a PAK to live. You, Dib, need to understand that. You need to know how hard it is, to become insecure when your PAK is gawked at by the filthy eyes of aliens. You need to understand how it feels when your PAK is missing, when your body is shutting down, when you are dying PAINFULLY. I know so many damn pains, ones that hurt like a bitch, and ones that threaten your every existance. I have lived through much more than you as an Irken Invader, and you have no clue how hard my entire LIFE has been! If I wanted to, I could torture you, make you feel so much pain, you'd never be the same. You would never smile again. But I won't. Do you know why?" Zim asked, his voice dangerous, vicious, and scaring the living hell out of Dib.

"Wh-wh-why?" Dib asked, the pressure on his throat not being enough to stop breathing or speech.

"It's because I actually give a damn about you, Dib. You are useful, and you are not as filthy or annoying as the others of your kind. I have never been so merciful with anyone outside the Irken Empire, so you'd better respect me, and never stare at my PAK again. Do it again, and I will shove Blood Sappers in your skin, and you can painfully rot for 70 hours before you die." Zim's cold words cause Dib's entire body to start shaking as his teeth chattered.

Dib violently nodded his head. "I'm sorry! I won't do it again!! Let go of me!!" Dib screamed, the feelings he felt in his skin, and the fear from Zim's vicious words, were making him go berserk as he tried to jerk away from Dib's strong hold.

Zim released the pressure, enough for Dib to slip away. His force caused him to fall over, onto his ass on the ground. Dib stared up at the two Irkens who loomed over him, his body still shaking.

"Sir, I think he's scared enough. I think he get's it." Shik said to Zim.

Zim sighed, then took in a deep breath. "Yes, I suppose you are correct." He said, then grabbed Dib's left upper arm. He pulled the human to his feet, then took his hand away from Dib quickly. "Let us go, Earth Monkey. The Voot Cruiser should be finished by now, I'd imagine." With that, Zim lead the way back to the entrance to the large, underwater city. Shik and Zim talked, as Dib silently followed.

~The Voot Cruiser~

Zim, Dib, Shik, Shinx, Lexi, and Cola were all strapped in, Shinx flying the ship. The good thing about Voot Cruisers, was the large space inside, and extra chairs stored below the floor boards. It could hold up to 20 sitting Irkens, and if squished together, about 54 have been recorded cramping together in the same Voot Cruiser, although the ship was slow and nobody could sleep.

Dib stared out the same window as Zim. The two sat beside each other on the black bench in back of the four Irkens up front, at the controls. The bench had black pading, as did the chairs. They were up against the side wall, behind them was a large window, and on the other side of the ship where they stared, was a large window matching the one behind them.

They were about two inches away from each other, not speaking as the other four spoke and laughed about some crazy situations on the Massive. Dib stared out the window, watching as the ship started to fly up, away from Akrious. 'I bet...I bet we'll be back here. Something....say we will.' He thought vaguely.

Dib was over the fear and shock, but now he just felt...awkward. 'I guess Zim's mad at me. I don't know what to say to him now.' The major problem was that Dib had been having hectic days, and the only person he could talk to was angry with him, so it left him with a cold, empty feeling inside. Or that was the reason he had come up with as to why that feeling was there, just for getting yelled at.

Dib's eyes flicked up at Zim, to see Zim's large, red eyes were staring at him. This made Dib jump, and avert his gaze. That action confused Zim. "What is your problem, Dib?" The Irken asked as his arms crossed. "Humans are so weird..."

"Uhh..." Dib wanted Zim to not be angry, but he could not think of anything to say to fix things. "Well, I was just thinking." Dib said, trying to just get off the subject. Instead of fixing things, he figured avoiding them was best.

'The human....is so weird. He's weird even with his own kind. He...kinda reminds me of myself.' Zim thought. He then looked up at the window, and saw the Ship turn towards the Massive. "Oh, we're already here!" Zim pointed out.

Dib looked up, and nodded quietly. Their ship entered the cargo hold of Voot Cruisers, and landed nicely inside. The ship opened up, and the Irkens started to hop out, one by one. Dib was the last out, and Shik shut the Voot Cruiser.

Zim looked over to his right from his position of facing the Voot Cruiser. He saw his Voot Cruiser was being fixed, and that made him happy. "Come, let's go to the Bridge." Cola said, receiving nods from everyone. The group then headed for the elevator that lead to the bridge.

~The Bridge~

Tallest Red and Tallest Purple were sitting in two chairs, side by side. They both sipped on drinks filled with Irken soda as they watched GIR dance on the walkway leading to the chairs. Irken techno played, vibrating the entire bridge, as he danced. GIR suddenly froze mid-spin on his hands (upside down), and the music cut as Zim entered the room, the first to enter of the Irkens in the group.

"GIR! Your arm is attached to you again!" Zim called.

"Uhuh!" GIR used his arms to force him off the floor. He rolled ten times in the air, and landed strongly on his feet in front of Zim. "I can play again!" He yelled, arms flailing.

Even when Zim was such an angry beast half the time, he still gave GIR a small smile, before walking around him, and over to his Tallest. "My Tallest...I have some very important matters to discuss wityh you. I, along with the human." He said, respectfully bowing as he spoke.

"Yeah, we figured that." Purple said. "Go on."

As the other four split up and reached their positions on the bridge, Dib reached Zim's side. Wanting to be respectful as well, Dib bowed. "I have discovered that I am Irken." Dib said. "I am part Irken and part human."

"What?!" Red and Purple asked in synch.

"I am, it's true. I was abducted twice, once when I was little, and once when I was young. I heard that the Irken who abducted me..." Zim tensed as the Tallest leaned forward a bit. "...Was an Irken named Blue." He finished.

"So...your the one she....she used." Red said.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Zim asked.

With a sigh, Tallest Red leaned back in his chair. His right elbow proped up on the chair's arm as his two skinny claws clenched in the air. "Blue told me, some time before her death, that she had been doing experiments on an alien, to see how this alien would react to becoming part Irken. That is all I knew, but I never knew...that you..were..."

"....What will happen to me now?" Dib asked.

Red's expression softened as he spoke. "She told me that if you ever had interaction with the Irkens, to have you join our invasion." Red said.

"So..?" Dib asked slowly.

"I want you to stick with Zim. Journey with him, take any world we command. Do it any way necessary. Sometimes worlds are conquered with violence, sometimes they are conquered in other ways." Red eplained.

Dib turned towards Zim, eyes wide. Zim gave Dib a nod, his eyes stern. "We do what the Tallest want." He added.

Dib then turned towards Purple. "For a while we've been starting partnerships between Irken invaders, anyways. Go on, it's fine with us, just as long as you conquer worlds, give us information so we can send in the Armada to conquer worlds if need be. That's the way we work, Zim can explain it all to you." Purple said.

"Alright." Dib said with a nod. "Oh! I almost forgot! I have a purposal, about my world, Earth." He mentioned.

"What is it?" Purple asked.

"If I give you my planet, will you please not enslave the people there?" Dib asked.

"Sure." Purple said, shrugging.

"Re-really?" Dib asked.

"Yeah. If we can have access to the media, snacks, and something permenant to show we really own your world, then why not?" Purple said.

"Something permenant..." Dib's mind clicked, and he knew exactly what he could use. "Alright! Let us go back to my planet for three days to prepare. When we return to the Massive, we'll be ready to take on the next world you want us to take." Dib said.

"That's fine, we'll have a job lined up for you guys by then. We'll make the job quick though, in case anything happens with the remaining Akrians, or their heart. You two are a bit too interlocked with this case to leave out at this point. We will need your help, especially...since I have a huge hunch that both of you are going to have to be there to kill the heart.

"Alright." Both Zim and Dib said in unison.

"Let's go Dib, GIR. Lets head to Earth once again." Zim said, receiving enthusiastic nods from both Zim and GIR.

The three headed for the elevator. "Can I have my piggy at home?" GIR asked.

"He he, of course." Zim said.

"Okay!" GIR exclaimed.

~Irk, World Control Sector, Center Sector~

The cloaked Irken, guided by the red coated Irken, stopped in front of the Control Brain. "I have awaited your arrival." The Control Brain's deep, male voice said.

"Yes, I know." The voice with the bizzare accent said, loudly and clearly. This obviously female Irken tossed back her cloak's hood, revealing herself to be Tak. The cloak suddenly shifted from her in a speedy motion, and appeared in the form of her SIR Unit, MiMi. "Now, what is it that you want?" Tak asked the Control Brain.

"I need you to pay Earth a visit. I know you don't like what Zim did to you in the past, but now you need to work with him." The Control Brain explained.

"After receiving this great position, I'll be fine with working with Zim. I have a FAR better position than he does, and that's thanks to him ruining me in the first place." She said. "What do I need to do?"

"I want you to visit Gaz. You'll see why when you get there. After that, I need you to bring Dib here, before they reach the next planet. I know I can trust you to do this." The Contol Brain said.

"I'll do this, My Control Brain. Thank you so much for allowing me this position." Tak said with a salute, then started to run back, followed by MiMi.

* * *

Now things are getting good! I greatly appreciate your patience, everyone! Thank you all for your support! ^_^


	12. Rest Well, Look Back, And Cover Me

The Irken And The Earthling's War And Love  
Chapter 12  
~Rest Well, Look Back, And Cover Me~  
_[ZaDr]_

The door flew open as Zackery and Rosey rushed inside the room. Zackery shut the door behind himself, then suddenly slumped backwards. Rosey let out a small yelp as she watched him slide down the door, and fall into a native-style sitting position.

"Zack! Are you okay?!" Rosey asked.

He let out a small breath. "Ye-yeah....just tired, is all. I feel like an old human or something..." He said spitefully as he slowly rose from the grown. When he was up on his feet, he staggered over to Gaz's bedside.

"Gaz..." Rosey let the word out, slowly and quietly as she reached her brother's side. Rosey came closer to the bed, then knelt down when she was directly on Gaz's left side. "Gaz, we came to see you." She whispered.

Gaz's hair was messily strewn across the hospital bed and pillow as her heart monitor was beeping at a quick pace. "Her heart is beating quicker than a normal heart should.." Zackery said.

"Contact Dib, tell him to come quickly." Rosey said.

"Why? Can he help in some way..?" Zackery asked.

"I...I think he should be here. Something....ah, I just think he should come. Now." Rosey explained.

With a nod, Zackery pulled out the blue communication device that Dib found to be missing much earlier.

~The Massive, The Interior Voot Cruiser Dock~

"The Angry Monkey Show. The Angry Monkey Show. It's where all the Angry Monkey fans go!" GIR happily sang these words as he skipped towards The Voot Cruiser.

Zim and Dib reached the vehicle's side as GIR playfully skipped around the entire thing, repetatively. There was one Irken that stood beside the Voot Criser, and this one walked up to the duo. "You guys are all set to hop aboard. Also, just so you know, a few of us took out those weapons attached to the bottom of the ship. We also took out the lasers below the cockpit's front window." He explained.

"WHAT?! How am I supposed to blow up enemies without weapons on my ship?!" Zim yelled at him, Dib's left eye closing partially at the thought of drifting through space on an unarmed vessal.

"Oh ho ho, not to worry, fellow Irken!" The Irken laughed, tossing his head back. Zim eyed him suspiciously, a daring thing for such a short Irken to do to one who's taller. This Irken wore a long red coat which matched his eyes nicely, so Zim's body launguage was certainly rude and not acceptable. "We installed some new weapons on your ship in place of those old ones! We even tossed in a couple of new ones!!" He cried, tossing his long arms up in the air.

"...Ooo..kay?" Zim asked, one eye wider than the other as he started up at this Irken. 'Alright...he must have done something....my PAK tells me he's done something...' he thought suspiciously.

"Oh, let me explain about your new weapons! The green buttons control the auto-lasers! The orange buttons control the gattling-lasers! The blue buttons control the star beams!" The Irken explained enthusiastically.

"Star beams?!" Zim exclaimed. "Those were developed by Irkens and Vortains working side by side! Star beams explode on impact!"

"Exactly! Anywho, your ship is also equiped with new sliders. There's a power level slider, a distance slider, a ship speed slider for extra boosts! You have a completely decked out Voot Cruiser, and it helps that it had a very strong defense in the first place." The Irken said happily.

Zim's head lowered as a large smile splashed across his lips. His eyes closed as his arms crossed, and his body posture was upright and strong. "He he, I know, it's all thanks to me. I am a genius. It even amazes me at times." He said in that common, weird voice of his.

"Now, I must tell you something important, Zim..." The taller started to say, his face turning serious. "There's a red button that fires a boom beam. When it's fired, your ship will shake, and its power drops to 20% for one hour, and your weapons completely shut down for five minutes. Remember that." The Irken explained.

Zim gave a sturdy nod. "Right, I will be sure to remember that." Zim said.

The Irken smiled, and started to walk past Zim and Dib. He stopped, and turned his head towards them. "Oh, I forgot to mention that I moved the self destruct button! Bye~" He added, the bolted for the elevator.

"Huh?! Where did you put it?!" Zim yelled as the Irken ignored him. "I'm talking to you!" Zim ran after the Irken. The Irken rushed into the elevator, then clicked the 7th floor's button. "Stop! STOOOP!!!!" Zim screamed as the Irken clicked the "close door" button. The door started to slide shut, as Zim reached it.

Zim's right hand pressed against the door frame, as his left hand caught the shutting door. His elbows were shoved backwards a bit as his head leaned forward into the elevator. His eyes glared down the deviously smiling Irken before him. Zim's strength allowed him to keep the strong door open.

"So...is there anything else I should be aware of?" Zim asked.

"Aside from the ship's capability to explode increasing by 12%, I gues not." He said.

Zim snarled as he swiftly backed up, the door slamming shut as he turned around swiftly. Zim stomped back over to Dib. GIR, who was currently running around the Voot Cruiser, suddenly slammed into Zim's raised, outstretched foot. He bounced off of it, sailed backwards, and landed on his back, on the ground.

"GIR! Stop annoying me! Can't you see I am frustrated?!" Zim screamed at the robot.

GIR sat up, staring up at Zim. "...Nooo." He simply responded, then laid back doown, and started to roll to his left then to his right repetatively, screaming, though it sounded more like he was laughing.

Zim gave an annoyed huff, as he turned towards Dib. His finger shot out at the human. "YOU! Get GIR in the ship. I have a quick errand to run before I fly us to Earth." He said sternly.

"Uhh, right." Dib said nervously. He walked a couple of steps closer to GIR, then dropped onto one knee. He caught GIR's wrist, causing him to stop. He smiled widely up at Dib, who tugged at GIR's wrist. "Com'on GIR, let's just get in the Voot Cruiser." Dib said.

"Okey-dokey!" GIR exclaimed, then rose up onto his feet. The ship's top opened, making Dib wonder how as GIR hopped aboard. Dib looked over at Zim, and saw the Irken walking away, hands in his pockets.

~Somewhere In Space~

"MiMi." Tak called from her seat at her ship's controls.

"Yes, my master?" MiMi responded from the seat beside her.

"Can you pick up a reading on my ship, from when it crashed on that planet that Zim was "assigned" to?" She asked.

MiMi went silent as she sent a message to Earth, then received one from Tak's ship. "Yes, it's fully functional, my leader." MiMi responded.

"Fully functional...we'll have to find it. I know your navigation skills will allow me to find it." She said, receiving a nod from her SIR unit. "Besides, Invader Tenn will be wanting this ship back...when she recovers, anyways."

~Irk, The Mental Correction Hospital~

Sitting on a couch in the lobby was Invader Tenn. Irkens in this hospital had a good deal of freedom, and they had the best help any crazy creature could ever want here. Beside Tenn was Dr. Kalli, a taller Irken wearing a pink and white coat. In Tenn's hand was a cup of poop cola that she had poured from a huge jug in the hospital's kitchen's fridge. Her hands shook as she brought the cup to her lips, and sipped.

"Tenn, you have been doing so well lately, I think you could see him soon." Dr. Kalli said as she pat Tenn's shoulder twice.

"Him?" Tenn asked as she pulled the cup from her mouth. She placed it on the glass table in front of her gently, and pulled her hand away from it.

"Yes, your SIR Unit." Kalli said.

"S-S-S-S-SIR Unit?!" Tenn asked, stuttering.

"Well, it's been such a long time, and when you are able to face your SIR you shoul-"

"MALFUNCTIONING SIR UNITS!!!!! NOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" She screeched, then jumped up off the couch, flipping over the table once, and landed perfectly on the floor past it. She whirrled around, her PAK unleashing her Spider Legs. "I WON'T LET YOU GET MEEE!!!!" She screamed.

Kalli hung her head as Tenn continued to scream at the non-existant, malfunctioning SIR units that plagued her mind from that horrible encounter before.

~The Massive~

Dib sat back in the main chair at the controls. He looked around the Voot Cruiser, seeing all of the buttons and grey metal inside. He was kind of excited to be in this ship, in the past...he'd never been in this ship before. 'That is so weird...you'd think that after knowing Zim for this long, I would have been in this ship at some point...but I never have been.' He thought.

Dib spun the chair around, and halted it when it faced the back of the ship. GIR was sitting in a black seat on the left, strapped in, and watching a television that had been set up by Zim in the very back of the ship. This television was linked to the Irken cable Server, which they had one rather than multiple servers like Earth has. On the screen was a brown furred monkey.

"You like that show, don't you?" Dib asked GIR.

"Yeeaaah. I loove that monkey." He said in that calm, eased voice of his when he was distracted or doing something.

Dib smiled, then chuckled a little. "Hey, do you remember that time I came over Zim's house when he was kidnapped by some huge alien?" Dib asked as his head tilted back very slightly.

"I do!" GIR said.

"Heh, I remember how angry he was at me when he came home. We were dancing, and he chased me off." Dib said.

"That was funny!" GIR said, then laughed a little.

"That was halarious!" Dib exclaimed.

The two of them laughed, then grew silent as they stared at the television. After only three minutes, the Cruiser's top popped open, causing Dib to visably jump. "Hey! Out of my seat, Smeet!" Zim yelled at Dib.

Dib tossed his head back, locking eyes with Zim. "Fine." He said, then hopped off the seat. Zim immediatly hopped onto the seat, and sat down quickly. The top of the Cruiser shut, and Dib turned around to look at Zim, arms crossing.

"So what did you need to go do?" Dib asked as his eyes stared at what Zim was holding in his left hand. The object was black and rectangular shaped with a big red button attached.

"Is it your business?" Zim asked. Dib rolled his eyes, and started to walk towards the seat beside Zim's. "Don't sit there." Zim's words caused Dib to freeze.

"What do you want, then?!" Dib snapped at the Irken.

"Sit right here." Zim said, pointing down at the floor right in front of him.

"Oh, com'on now!" Dib yelled. "Am I a dog?!"

"Are you sure of what you even are?" Zim asked.

Dib bit his lip, but then glared at Zim sternly. "Yes! I'm Irken and human!" He yelled.

Zim slumped over a bit with disappointment. "Whatever! Just sit here! I'm the older Irken, anyways!" He snapped, jabbing his finger down.

Dib reluctantly walked over to the spot Zim was pointing at. He then plopped down, staring up at Zim. "Speak now of forever be terrorized by me." Dib said.

"I already am terroroized by you." Zim said. He gritted his teeth, then gave a quick sigh. "Alright, so I spoke to the Tallest for a moment, alone." Zim said, then became really quiet.

"Well..?" Dib asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"They said...they said....DAMMIT! You'llbedubbedanIrkenInvaderandgivenyourownSIRUnitwhenyouhandoveradocumentbindingEarthtotheIrkenEmpire. You are SOOO LUCKY, Earth scum! If you had to endure their training, You'd DIE!!!" Zim yelled, then panted harshly for air to fill his PAK.

Dib could only stare at Zim. "I have no idea what you just said." He said.

Zim growled in frustration. "Inferior HUMAN! I said your being dubbed an invader as soon as you give them that paper that will hand Earth over to Irk!" He yelled.

"I-I will?" Dib asked, leaning back.

"Yes! You Smeet..." Zim grumbled.

Dib blinked, then sighed as he shrugged. "Alright. Working together with you as an Invader...I wasn't expecting that one." Dib said as he got up.

"How could you possibly act so calm! When I was accepted as an Invader, I freaked out!" Zim yelled. "I couldn't sleep for weeks, I was so excited! I was in bliss!"

"I'm just getting adjusted to having a lot of chaos. But hey, I'm pretty happy about all of this, because I get to do more paranormal research!" Dib said as he walked over to the big window on the ship's side, across from GIR's seat. He placed his right hand against the glass. "Besides....this is all amazing. The Irken Empire and it's awesome technology, being in space, everything....it's so cool." He said.

Dib backed away from the glass, his hand dropping to his side. He started to walk towards GIR, to sit next to him, when Zim's voice stopped him in his tracks. "Dib. You can sit beside me." Zim said.

Dib looked up to see the back of Zim's chair. He tilted his head to the side. 'Is he...being nice to me..?' Dib wondered. 'It's one thing to save my life or cook something for me when I cut my hand. He did that because I need to stay alive for their Empire, and because he was annoyed wit me. But it makes no sense to be nice to me, unless...'

Dib walked over to the chair on Zim's right. He sat down, and looked up at Zim's face. 'He's actually starting to lighten up a bit.' He thought as a small smile took his lips.

Zim then looked over at him, his right eye wider than the left. "What's your problem?" Zim asked.

Dib leaned back in the seat, resting against its comfortable material. "Nothing. Absolutely nothing is wrong." Dib said, truthfully.

Zim softened his face a bit as he reeved up the Voot Cruiser. The dock's huge door opened as Zim started to fly the ship out. The Voot Cruiser smoothly flew outside, and Zim saw most of the Armada up here. Dib's eyes widened as he looked around at all of the Irken ships.

"WOOOOW!!!!!!! The Armada looks bigger here than it did when I saw it from the Akrian's ship!" Dib yelled as he looked around.

"Ha ha, yes. The Irken Empire is impressive." Zim said. "The Armada is completely full of Irkens who are definately elite in piloting skills, and Irkens who are highly intelligent." Zim boasted.

Zim steered the ship through the black of space, weaving between the other Irken ships. The ship then jerked right, and Zim just barely passed in front of a larger Irken vessal without connecting with it.

"Watch what your doing!" Dib yelled at Zim.

"What do you mean?" Zim asked, eyes narrowing as he continued to weaved between the ships.

"You almost clipped that ship!" Dib exclaimed, his arm stretching out.

"No I didn't!" Zim yelled.

"Yes you did! You zipped right in front of it!" Dib countered.

"Your lying! I'm a good pilot!" Zim screeched.

"That's an opinion!" Dib yelled.

"I DON'T CARE!!!" Zim screamed.

"Uh oh, we're going to crash." GIR bluntly stated.

"Shut up!" Zim yelled as he finally steered clear of all the ships. "Hah! Take that and stick it!" Zim yelled. Dib mearly halved his eyes and frowned. He propped his head on his hand, his elbow on the chair's arm.

Time drifted by as Dib watched the sky. He saw different shaded stars, most of which were pure white, but he saw a red or a green star here and there, along with other colors. He figured those stars were planets close enough to see the colors in.

Zim drove the ship at a steady pace, not wanting Dib or himself to feel sick if he had to swerve the ship at all. He knew how that was, he was a living creature. His PAK was pressed against the seat as he calmly steered the ship. 'I can't stand it when anyone doubts my piloting skills. I have flown past many obsticals and avoided many problems. I refuse to take any bs from anyone.' He thought as a creepy grin spread across his face.

GIR's halved eyes were captivated by the television, almost putting this SIR unit into slumber mode. Almost, but his want to watch the Angry Monkey was too strong, so he continued to stay awake enough to process the junk that television gives to its watchers.

Dib finally straightened up. "I'm so thirsty..." He mumbled as he folded his hands across his lap.

Suddenly, Zim's PAK opened up, and one of his Spider Legs came forth with that bottle filled with red juice. "Here." Zim said. "Let GIR have some too." He added.

Dib gripped the bottle, his hand touching the cool metal of Zim's Spider Leg's tip. That made him a tad bit colder than he already was, with his coat missing and all. 'I'm glad I left my communication scroll at home, had I taken it, and it got damaged or last, I would be screwed when Agent Disembodied Head received the news.' He thought.

Dib unscrewed the cap, and sipped from the eight-shaped container. When he pulled it from his lips, he stared down at it in amazement. "Now THAT tastes good. What is it?" Dib asked Zim.

"It's called Quichi, a juice derived from an Irken fruggie." Zim said.

"A what?" Dib asked, tilting his head to the side a bit.

"A fruggie is a fruit and a vegtable. I'm shocked your planet has nothing like that." Zim said.

"...Me too." Dib said, then took a quick sip from the container, the smooth liquid sliding down him with ease. He realised that this juice wasn't sticky at all, which he found strange and cool at the same time.

Dib was surprised when Zim suddenly pulled the drink from his hand. Dib looked up, cap still in his other hand, as Zim chugged down a bit of the juice himself. This confused Dib, seeing as to how big a deal Zim made just touching him, yet drinking from the container he just sipped from? 'What is Zim thinking? Maybe...things are just completely different now that I'm part Irken? Is that the only thing..?' Dib wondered as Zim pulled the drink away from his mouth. He stared down at the container for a couple of seconds, then shoved it in Dib's face.

"Here, give this container to GIR. He may be a robot, but he's always hungry and thirsty, so giving him nourishment constantly is a good thing." Zim explained.

'Hmm...maybe he just got thirsty, and wants to make sure we are all hydrated. Whatever, it works for me.' Dib slowly gripped the container, then hopped up off the seat and walked over to GIR. "Here GIR, it's, err, Quichi." Dib said.

GIR perked up as he took the container from Dib. "Juice! Nya ha ha ha!" He slurped a bunch of it down, then handed the container back to Dib. This container was completely empty, Dib saw.

Dib screwed the cap back on the container as he walked back over to his seat. 'Oh, now I understand. He gave me the drink first to shut me up, then took a sip for himself, before GIR killed off the rest.' Dib thought as he hopped back up on his seat. Zim's Spider Leg intertwined with the container's eight shape, then retracted into his PAK.

With a small sigh, Dib leaned back against the chair, and crossed his arms. "Zim, how much longer will it take to reach Earth?" Dib asked.

Zim looked thoughtful as he rubbed his chin for a small second. "At the rate we are going, it will take us at least an hour." He stated.

"Step on it." Dib said, receiving an odd look from Zim before realising that that was stupid to say. "I mean, let's soar!" Dib yelped, correcting himself.

Zim shook his head as he chuckled a little. "Buckle up." He commanded, as he clicked his own seat belt in.

"Uhh, right." Dib said, then gripped the silver buckle. He noticed it was a lot like a human seat belt, and only with a sleeker clicker. He plugged the buckle into its secure place, then straightened up, turning his head towards Zim. "Can we go now?" He asked in his quick voice.

"Yes." Zim responded in his own fast voice.

The Voot Cruiser then rushed through the sky at a much faster pace, one that pushed the both of them back against their seats a bit as they felt the ship's riveting speed. GIR woke up much more from this, and he sat up against his seat properly, eyes closed as he enjoyed the speed himself, viewing it as though it were a rollercoaster ride.

"How much longer at this speed, then?" Dib asked.

"I'd say about nine minutes or less." Zim responded.

"Good, because I have to catch Probing the Membrane of Science tonight, and figure out what to get Gaz for her birthday tonight." Dib heard himself say, unconciously. His eyes then bugged as his hands pressed against the sides of his head. "Oh no! I forgot all about this stuff!!" He exclaimed.

"Eh, it's alright, it's only five o'clock on Earth." Zim said.

"Oh man! Dad's show comes on at seven!" Dib yelled. "I need to know what the deal is! She said something important about today and yesterday! ARGH!!"

"Oh, shut up, Dib! Don't annoy me!" Zim yelled.

"But I'm-"

"Stop it!" Zim snapped violently. "I'm not in the mood to listen to you bitch, Dib! I'm really not!"

'What is his problem..?' Dib wondered as he watched Zim's sneering face stare out the front window intensely.

Two minutes straight ticked by, neither Zim or Dib moved their focuses elsewhere. GIR quietly rode in the vessel, his circuts still recovering a bit since the accident, though he was better than before. The only sounds that could be heard were the functions of the Voot Cruiser that echoed very softly through the ship.

Zim's left hand which gripped the wheel tightened as he turned his head towards Dib. "Stop staring at me! I can't stand it!" He yelled loudly.

"Damn, Zim! What is the matter with you?!" Dib said, turning his head towards the front wind sheilds.

Zim growled as he jerked his head towards the wind sheild as well. "It's nothing! There's nothing wrong with me!! Why the hell are these lights so BRIGHT?!!" He yelled, turning a nob on his far left down until the ship's softly glowing walls were very dim. Dib was still able to see, thanks to space and it's beautiful stars.

Zim sighed, sounding exhausted as he leaned a tad bit forward. Dib studied him closely, seeing that his eyes were slightly dimmer than usual. Zim looked extremely exhausted, and his antennas were dipped down further than if he was relaxed. Dib's eyes then skewed to the PAK, which was always attached to Zim's back. He quickly averted his eyes, before Zim noticed and lashed out at him or something.

The two were silent as Zim thought back on everything that had happened. He then remembered that device he had impaled in Dib's neck. He glanced over to Dib briefly as his eyes landed on its black, back end. 'So, it didn't wash away in the water. That's good, it could be useful later. An Irken tracking device with a listening device inserted in it...too bad it's temporary.'

"It's Earth! Finally!" Dib exclaimed, finger pointing a mass of blue and white.

Zim nodded, and sped towards it. "Good, I can finally get away from you for a few days." He grumbled.

"We still have to go to skool, so we don't look suspicious." Dib reminded him.

"Why do I have to?" Zim asked. "I have no reason to attend that filth ball anymore."

"If they don't see you at skool all of a sudden, they will become suspicious. It wasn't a smart idea to enroll Zim." Dib said, grinning slightly because he knew how much Zim hated that place.

"You Earth worm! I can't keep attending that stupid skool, and neither can you! We are invaders!" Zim yelled, his left hand rubbing his left temple.

"Cool it! We just have to go every once in a while, just so they don't get too suspicious." Dib explained. "There are some kids who do that, and they aren't considered weird. A few years ago, a kid didn't show up at the skool for a month, and this HUGE search went on, it was on the news for weeks!" Dib said, tossing his hands up.

"So what happened?" Zim asked, his voice a bit groggy still, his behavior still confusing Dib.

"They found him staying with his aunt, skipping skool. He now lives at that skool, and he cleans the bathrooms each night." Dib explained, crossing his arms. "I refuse to end up like that." He added.

Zim's antennas slumped further than they were as his dim eyes grew in size. "Alright...how often do we have to go?" He asked.

Dib looked up at the ceiling, thoughtfully. "I'd say that at least a couple of days each two or three weeks should be enough to keep suspicions away." He said.

"Good, that's better than every week." Zim muttered.

The Voot Cruiser came so close to Earth that buildings were in sight below them, but they were far enough down for the aircraft to not be very noticable. Zim flew the ship directly to his base, the top of the house opening automatically as he eased the ship down on the platform. The roof closed up quickly, leaving the two in darkness.

Zim flicked a switch that shut the entire ship down. It was so dark in this area, that Dib could see absolutely nothing as Zim unleashed his Night Vision Goggles. This is when Zim finally noticed the self destruct button. It was right next to the switch that turned the ship on and off.

"That's a stupid place for it! Damn asshole! That fool!" He grouched as the top of the ship opened.

Mindlessly and out of curiousity, Dib asked a question that was in his head for a small while. "Zim, why does the ship open on it's own like that?"

Zim glared at Dib from behind the goggles. "Because, stupid, unintelligent Earth SMEET, my PAK is on a wave link which allows me to open it or close it at will. I thought even you could have figured that out by now." Zim complained as he started to unbuckle his seat belt.

"Zim...you know your acting like a bitch, right?" Dib asked.

Zim let out a low hiss, before jumping up on the hood of the Voot Cruiser. "Come GIR!" He commanded.

"Oooookaaay." GIR complied, then hopped out of his seet, slipping easilly out of the straps, and landing on the hood beside Zim. "Are we going to run outside, now?" He asked, leaning back to look up at his master.

"No GIR..." Zim said quietly. He then jumped off of the Voot Cruiser, and landed on the floor, a good distance from the vessal, on his foot and knee. He stood up, then walked only three steps ahead before he was standing right in front of the wall. He gripped a door knob and opened it.

Light flooded into the room, and Dib could now see Zim. He looked at the currently freakish-looking Zim as his goggles still covered half of his head. GIR zipped past Zim, and both Irkens could hear him running down the stairs just in the other room.

Zim crossed his arms as he faced Dib. "You should go home now, Dib. Three days from now, I'll come get you, and we'll head for the Massive." Zim explained.

Dib unbuckled his seat belt, then jumped onto the hood of the Voot Cruiser. He jumped down from it as the top closed, and he walked quickly to the door. He stood in front of Zim, hands stuffed into his pockets. "Where should we meet up?" Dib asked.

Zim shook his head as his binoculars retracted into his PAK. "Just trust me, I'll get you in three days. Go away. Now." Zim barked, rubbing his temple again.

Dib blinked once as he stared at Zim. "Are you okay?" Dib asked.

Zim almost immediatly dropped his hand to his side as he straightened up. Even his antennas lifted a bit higher. "Of course, I am Invader ZIM! Nothing bothers me...well, except for you." He said, then snickered.

Dib grinned as he fisted his left hand. He tossed a punch towards Zim's face as the Irken caught his tightened hand. "Your reflexes work." Dib commented.

"Obviously, let's check yours." Zim said, then his left leg came up from the side, aiming to hit the side of Dib's thigh.

Dib quickly caught Zim's left ankle with his right hand, and the two found themselves a bit trapped. "So Zim, you planning on trying anything else?" Dib tested.

"No, not really." Zim admitted, unable to move in this state.

Dib chuckled a little. "Alright, what's the problem, then?" He asked, raising his head as his hair bobbed slightly from the movement.

"What do you mean?" Zim asked, his tone sounding confused, but to Dib, it screamed "I don't want to talk about it".

"You know exactly what I mean, Zim." Dib snapped, his grip on the Irken's ankle tightening greatly, causing Zim discomfort. "For a while you've been extremely irritable and acting weird. What is the matter with you?" He asked, truely sounding concerned.

"Nothing is wrong with me, I already said that!" Zim yelped.

Then, out of anger, he shifted his weight to his right. Dib's hand on his ankle started to slip, causing him to grip it so hard that his nails dug into Zim's skin, making him cringe. Zim's right hand then tugged Dib's hand to the right with a huge force. This caused Dib and Zim to fall over, onto the floor.

Zim's right hand was trapped under Dib's left side, just under his arm. Aside from that, they were laying beside each other, uncomfortably, on the wooden floor. Zim hissed in a bit of pain as he attempted to tug his hand out from under Dib.

"Hey! Get off of my hand, Dib!" Zim snapped angrily, still tugging, but to no avail.

"Zim, dammit!" Dib got up quickly, getting onto his feet as Zim pulled his hand back, rubbing it a bit.

"Stupid Dib!" Zim snarled as he got up on his feet.

"You're the one who made us fall!" Dib yelled, rubbing his left side with his right hand. He suddenly froze as he noticed the pain in his hip. He then looked down to see a large blood stain growing slightly on his shirt, then stopping. "I'm bleeding! My shirt is ruined now! Thanks a lot, Zim!" Dib yelled.

"Uhh...oops. I didn't know that was going to happen." Zim said, antennas drooping as he frowned a bit. "If you want, I could-"

"No." Dib quickly interveined. "I'll take care of it. My house is just down the street. You look like you need sleep, Zim. I'll see you tommorrow, at Skool." Dib said, then headed past Zim. He froze at the very top step of the stairs, peeking back at Zim from over his own shoulder. "I hope you feel better soon. Later." He said, then started to walk down the stairs quickly.

Zim sighed as he shut the door to the Voot Cruiser's dock. He held onto the handle, keeping it turned as he spoke out to himself. "I knew I shouldn't have done that..."

He then released the handle, and walked down the stairs slowly. When he reached the bottom of them, he was on the second floor, which held almost nothing aside from some spare bedrooms. He stores boxes holding Irken supplies that he orders from Irk and Callnowia in these rooms for the most part, along with some other stuff.

He just kept walking down the stairs, and reached the guest room on the first floor. This room was next to the room where he used to store his Gashu Catsgot Wella, when she lived. With a small sigh, he walked out of this room and down the hall, leaving the door open as he reached the living room. Zim figured GIR had gone down into the sleeping chambers below, and he noted that Dib was already on his way home. 'That'll look inconspicous...walking down the street bleeding. That Smeet...' His mind sourly spewed as he walked into the kitchen.

Zim walked over to the trash barrel and faced it. He turned his head to the right, where the oddly-placed toilet used to be. "Hah ha...I remember when that toilet used to be there..." He said aloud, recalling that he removed it a while ago, after he got stuck in it for two days. That's why he uses the trash can to reach his base these days.

Zim stomped his foot down on the trash can's pedal, and the top flew up, and smacked against the wall. He then jumped up, and fell inside, his feet landing on the platform. It lowered down towards the flooring below, where he hopped off with ease and walked forward.

He stopped in the center of the room, observing the screens around him. His eyes halted on the picture frame hung on the wall, where his Gashu Catsgot Wella's wings were. A bit annoyed, Zim made his way to the wall. He jumped up, grabbed the framing, and pulled it up and off of the wall. It had been hung so high up, that that was his only choice.

He spun around, facing the shattered remains of the lantern on the ground. "GIR!" Zim called loudly, his voice echoing through the base.

GIR rushed into the room, jumped up high, spun twice in the air, then landed in front of Zim. "Yes, my master!" GIR responded, eyes red for only seconds until returning to the lax green color.

"I want you to clean up this mess." Zim said, holding the frame out over the pile below.

"Aw, okay. I loved that butterfly..." GIR said, then his head opened up.

"I know, GIR. I know." Zim responded as a large, fat tube came out of GIR's head. The tube sucked in the lantern remains, then the framing. Before the tube shut off, one of Zim's gloves was sucked into the tube.

"Hey!" Zim exclaimed as he heard crunching sounds from inside of GIR.

From the tube was dropped a cube created from the compressed bits of the lantern, the frame, and the glove. Zim's fisted hand shook in the air as GIR retracted the tube into his head, and his head closed. "He he! I feel all warm inside, now." GIR said, hugging his upper arms.

"Grrr...GIR! You just sucked up my glove! AGAIN!!" Zim yelled at the SIR.

For a couple of seconds GIR stood in silence, staring at Zim. "Ohhh yeah..." He said, aknowledging that he did, in fact, suck up the glove. He then started walking away from Zim, causing Zim to hang his head.

"GIR!" Zim called, causing GIR to freeze about ten feet away from Zim.

"Sir?" GIR asked.

Zim sighed, rubbing his temple. "Get me the pills, and the PAK medicine. Please..." He asked, voice tired out now, rather than yelling at GIR.

"You're in pain again, Master?" GIR asked innoccently as he turned around to look at Zim.

Eyes averted, Zim was silent before his responce came forth. "Yes, GIR. Please fetch the supplies for me."

"Alrighty." GIR said simply, then headed back the way he was heading before.

~Dib's Home~

The door creaked open as Dib walked inside. He shut the door, and locked it, then quickly headed for the bathroom. As he walked, he lifted his shirt up, and slipped it off of himself. He dropped it on the floor, and left it there, deciding he'd pick it up a bit later.

Dib reached the bathroom's open door and walked inside, flicking the light on as he walked. He stopped in front of the sink, as he looked down at the wound. it was shallow, but a bit long. 'That's why that blood stain was so big...damn.' He thought as he walked over to the shower. 'Oh well, I'll just take a shower, clean it out as I go along. Then I'll get some different clothes.' He thought.

He pulled the shower curtain over, covering the whole shower as he turned the knob. 'I know I was cleaned off on Akrious, but I just feel so dirty now, after traveling. Besides, it's all damp and gross outside, with the rain we have had lately thanks to those Akrians.' Dib walked over to the door, and shut it, locking it, though he found that pointless, since nobody was here. 'I love the rain, but not the aftermath outside when it's gone.' He thought as he walked back over to the shower, and set the water to be just the right temperature.

~Zim's Base~

Zim was sitting at the computer he would work on or contact the Tallest at, his fisted hand holding up his head as his elbow was resting against the metal that the keyboard was attached to. GIR then walked up to him, in one hand he held a small, white pill, and his other hand held a rag and a very fat, white bottle.

"Thank you, GIR." Zim said as he gripped the pill between his ungloved fingers. He popped it into his mouth, and swallowed it down with only his saliva, which Irkens had a lot more in their mouths than humans did, so he was able to swallow horse pills without any aid from liquids.

Zim then unpropped his head and arm as he took the bottle in his right hand and the rag in his other. He opened the cap, popping it up with his thumb. He then squirted a little bit of the barely pink, oily substance onto the rag. He only squirted a little as it spread quickly, then he closed the cap with his thumb.

Zim placed the bottle onto the flat surface of the computer desk, which was attached to the wall. He then handed the oily rag to GIR, and stood up from the chair. He sat on the floor, PAK facing GIR. GIR could reach the PAK with ease now, so he started to rub the oily rag on Zim's PAK.

"Zim, how much longer do I have to do this?" GIR asked.

"Only a few more times, I hope. I just need to find out what kind of injection will perminantly fix my PAK..." Zim explained. "Fear not, for Zim is smart."

"Nooo..." GIR responded, saying it so slowly that Zim didn't pick up on what he said.

~With Dib, 15 Minutes Later~

Dib slipped a shirt on over his head, his arms reaching through the sleeves, then straightening the bottom. What he currently wore was a grey shirt with an alien ship imprinted on it, along with a pair of black sweat pants, and he had a black and grey striped wristband on his right wrist.

"All set! Now, I must fetch that paper from Dad's lab downstairs. I don't remember where he put it, but I will find it!" Dib said to himself, then ran out of his room, not bothering to shut the already open door since nobody would rumage through his room for any reason. There was nobody around at all.

Dib ran down the stairs, and reached the living room. "Man, I wish I could wear something more comfortable than this!" Dib bitched, partially angry at himself. "Gaz usually takes care of the laundry, but with her still in the hospital, and with all of the crazy things happening lately, I haven't gotten a chance to do much around here." He added as he walked through the living room and into the kitchen.

Dib continued to walk, and halted at the door leading into the lab from here. He opened it slowly, his mind rushing as it creaked open.

~Flashback~

_"Dad!" Dib's younger, higher pitched voice called out to as he rushed into the kitchen from the outside door. Dib was currently five years old. His father walked into the kitchen from the living room, and he stopped in front of Dib, arms lax behind his back._

_"What is it, my Son?" He asked Dib._

_Dib jumped up and down as he spoke loudly. "I was just on a wak wiff mom, and I discovered something amazing!" He ceased his hopping, and flailed his arms excitedly as he continued on. "I found a cool thing that feww fwom the sky! I think it's fwom an awien space ship!" Dib yelled as his hand lifted high above his head. Between his thumb and two of his fingers was a small, pink chunk of metal, a piece of an Irken Voot Cruiser's external wall._

_"Ha ha, of course it's not, Son! Your young, undeveloped mind believes in the paranormal now, but a few years from now you will know that the paranormal is just dellusional fantasy!" The Professor bent over and pat Dib on the head twice, then matted his hair down as he rubbed it. "There's no need to worry though, you'll get over this paranormal craze in only a few years or so. Then, I will teach you about real science, and you will carry on my brilliance in your later years!" Membrane said as he removed his hand from the large-headed boy and straightened his body posture. "Well, I'm off to the lab, see you." He said as e walked over to the door, then walked down stairs._

_Dib frowned sadly as he slowly walked over to the door. His father had left it open a crack as he was so determined to return to his work, so Dib gripped the door and it's wall's framing. He stared down at the pitch black of the lab. "But, I really did see it faww..." He quietly said to the quiet, blackened staircase. Dib's eyes scanned the little fragment in his hand, then he gripped it tightly. "I'll make you see, Daddy..."_

~End Flashback~

Dib stood there, his memory replaying a normal piece of his past as he stared blankly down that same pitch black staircase. He finally snapped out of it as he shook his head. "It's fine, Dad doesn't care. He...doesn't need to know anything, anymore. He never knew, and never will." He told himself.

Dib then turned his head to his right, his eyes lowering down to the almost completely dark lightswitch that was on the wall, only an arm's length away. He flicked it up, and turned his head back to the stairs. "Alright, time to reach the Important Documents shelf." He said, adjusting his glasses quickly before rushing down the now lit stairs.

~Zim's Base~

Zim laid on his Irken bed, which had a pink matress cover sheet, a black sheet over him, a pink comforter, and black pillows. The bed was huge, holding two pillows and having lots of extra space. It was extremely comfortable, giving his PAK a comfort that he enjoyed greatly. He held a little microphone that had come out of his PAK, and he was positioned so he could open his PAK a bit, just for such purposes.

"GIR, for the next three days, we will be working on the Voot Cruiser's accelarator project again, as well as my PAK. I hope to find an injection, because I can't become weak like this. Most certainly not." Zim explained over the mic.

"Okey-dokey! Ooh, what's that?! Is that...it's the piggy outside! I want to hug you!!" Zim heard GIR say on the other side of the mic.

"Hey, are you listening to me, GIR?!" Zim yelled.

He heard no responses from GIR, telling him that GIR was not listening, so he shut the microphone off and allowed the PAK to retract it, though he left his PAK open. He listened outside, lifting his head and moving his left hand under his head, then resting his head down on it. He heard the front door open, a car door slam, and then screeching tires.

"Stupid pig, always captivating GIR's mind. That pig doesn't deserve to live in that masion with those money-filthy people!" Zim yelled to the empty house, as he laid there, alone.

Then, his mind thought back to how he had that tracking device in Dib's neck, currently. His PAK unleashed a purple stick with a grey speaker attached to it. The stick was a handle, which he gripped with his right hand as he listened to Dib through the tracking device.

He heard Dib huffing, and quick footsteps. "Judging from the sound, he isn't wearing shoes. Why is the Dib running in his own home?" Zim asked allowed, only assuming that Dib was in his house.

~Dib's Home, Professor Membrane's Laboratory~

Dib raced past the machines that he and his father would use for experiments. The lab was quite large now, after his father got a raise for inventing a five minute meat processor/coffee machine, he extended the lab down here greatly, hoping to have a bit more time at home. It didn't work, and Dib had already known it would fail, only because his father promised to spend more time with him and Gaz time and again, and nothing came from those words or ideas.

Dib then slid to a stop in front of a large shelf, glass covering it down to the flat wood. On this shelf was a huge line of papers seperated by...wordless devides that looked exactly the same. The shelf was so long, and so loaded with papers, that it had its own damn wall just to fit the entire shelf!

"What the HELL??!!!" Dib screamed, grabbing his head in surprise.

~Zim's Base, Zim's Room~

Zim laid on his left side now, currently curious as to what Dib was doing. "He's distressed." He chuckled. "What could be so horrible for the Earth Irken, I wonder?" He asked aloud, not actually talking to anyone aside from himself.

"There must be THOUSANDS of pages here!!! How am I supposed to fine that ONE PAGE??!!!" Zim heard Dib scream across the tracking device.

"Page for what?" Zim asked, as though Dib could actually hear him. 'Damn one-way tracker...oh well, it's more suited for secrecy, anyways.' Zim thought.

Zim heard the flicker and rusting of pages, as though Dib was flicking the corners of a few papers. "There are TOO many papers here....how could Dad POSSIBLY sort through them? No, that would be way too weird. This must be a storage of important Earth documents, such as documents he will never look at again, but still needs to have around." Dib said. "But...what now?"

"What is he doing?" Zim asked, shifting a bit to raise his head up on the pillow a bit higher.

Zim heard a couple of small foots steps against the flooring as Dib moved. "I must find it, Earth could be in danger if I don't give the Tallest that document. Wait a minute...why is there glass over that shelf, anyways?" Dib finally questioned aloud.

"Glass? Document..." Zim let the small words escape his mouth, as he gawked at the speaker like it would do a backflip if he just kept staring.

He heard Dib's foot steps again. "Ah, I get it, Father. You put the glass up as part of that improved security system down here. You told me not to touch these documents, and other certain things down here...well, I don't blame you after raising the dead and that explosion a few months ago. But, I'm sorry Dad, I have to protect Earth, and if going against your words are the way to do it, then do it I shall!"

"Well, this is interesting...he likes to talk to himself, doesn't he?" Zim said, to himself.

~Dib's Home, Laboratory~

Dib tapped on the glass twice with his index finger, finding that no alarms sounded, and nothing was shooting at him. He then lifted the top of the glass covering up, the glass easily sliding in back of the documents. Dib took a small look around the area, that guilty face of his searching for any guns or cameras in the area. With a sigh, he turned his head back to the papers that were currently standing in the open area.

"Zim...you'd better appreciate what I'm about to do. If I get blown apart, I will haunt you until you die." Dib grounded out.

~With Zim~

Zim eyes the speaker suspiciously. "Eh...is it just me, or did Dib sound a bit like his sister just then?" He asked out loud. With a sigh, he dropped his head a bit, eyes closing as he listened.

~With Dib~

Dib eyed the papers nervously. "How do I find it? I KNOW that something is rigged for me down here, I can feel it." He said, pacing north as he studdied each and every pice of flattened oak that was in his sight range. "It has to be here..."

Dib then froze in his tracks. A paper that was curled back thanks to a slanted divider revealed the answer he seeked. "IT'S HEERRREEEE!!!!!!!!!!! Now I don't have to waste countless hours looking for it!!" Dib screamed.

His grin grew to a huge size as he slowly, easily gripped the page with his thumb and index finger. He tugged it easily out of its cramped space, just to immediatly loose his grin entirely.

A buzzing alarm sounded as a red light flashed in the area. "Oh, of course Dad, don't trap the glass, just trap what's IN the glass!!" Dib yelled as a thump of metal hitting the tiled floor sounded from behind him.

Dib swiftly turned as he shut the glass easilly. What stood only feet from him, was a large robotic monster. It stood about three feet above Dib, it had a sleek design to its silver, metal body, its legs were skinny and came down to sleek points, the head was narrow with a pointed mouth and large cat-like ears, and it had a long, metalic tail that had a large, rigid thorn at its end.

"...Mother..." Dib squeaked as the robotic guard took two steps closer to Dib. "H-Hey! I'm Professor Membrane's son! That means you don't h-have to kill me!" Dib said nervously, backing up a few steps.

~With Zim~

Now Zim was laying on his stomach, a large coffee cup filled with frost poop cola in his hand as he sipped from it. "This is getting really interesting, now." He commented between sips.

~With Dib~

The guard took another step closer to Dib, then a light white light shone from its black pupiled eyes.

"YAAAHH!!!" Dib screamed, recoiling into a defensive position, hands shielding his face pathetically.

"Analysis, Dib Membrane, Professor Membrane's son. Function, punish." The robot spoke. It then lept up into the air, and fall towards Dib.

Dib shrieked as he ran forward, just avoiding its long legs that were aiming to peirce his flesh. He spun around to see the robot was already facing him. "I remember what happened when I was punished for the last incident! Please, I'm sorry that I have to take this without permission, but I know Dad won't understand, he just won't!" Dib yelled, gripping the now curled in his grip paper tighter.

"Professor Membrane's orders are strictly to punish Dib for touching those files, and to retreive what is stolen." The robot explained.

Dib then gave a stern look as he held his ground. "Then I think I'll change that."

~With Zim~

"Wow, the Dib Worm has now become the Dib Beast." Zim complimented Dib as he listened to the change in Dib's tone.

Zim heard Dib quickly run for steps, then suddenly stop. He then listened to the extremely quick clicks of a keyboard. "I have to hack the system, then alter the commands of this roboguard." Dib said as the clicks quickened just slightly.

"I cannot allow that." The robot stated.

Zim then heard Dib cry out in pain as an apparent laser had been shot, judging from the sound. "Oh, com'on Dib! You shouldn't even be phased by that one!" Zim yelled at the speaker, then sipped harshly on his frost poop cola.

Zim's eyes bugged as his mouth opened. "ARGH! PAK freeze!! Brain freeze!" Zim screamed as he violently shook his head. The shaking slowed to a stop as his head lowered closer to his neck. He took in a small breath, then lifted his head back up slowly. "Damn, I hate PAK freezes!" He yelped. "The brain freeze doesn't hurt nearly as bad as the PAK freeze...having two bodies to take care of is tough..." He groaned.

~With Dib~

Dib's hand slammed down on the desk that the computer stood on as he lifted his shakey body up off the floor. He stood up as he glared at the robot. "I REFUSE to let something like you take me down that easily!" Dib exclaimed.

He then turned back to the computer, and typed in a couple more things. He smiled widely as he turned back to the robot. "I cannot allow such rebellious behavior, Membrane will not approve of this." The robot said as Dib stood there smiling still.

"Yeah, well you will now!" He then pressed the enter key, and the robot then walked over to the wall. It stood in a perfect position, like a statue, and its eyes dimmed as it went into submission.

Dib chuckled a little, feeling triumphant for conquering the robot. "You won't be after me anymore, now that I have allowed myself access to the files. Ah, I'm glad Dad has never changed the password on this computer." He said happily as he turned his eyes down to the paper in his hands.

"Now...I have it. As long as the Tallest stay true to their word, which I'm pretty sure they will, then giving them this will officially stop Zim from trying to blow Earth apart. So in the end...Earth and Irk win, huh..? It feels...like a new journey is starting to piece together." Dib said to himself, obviously unaware that Zim was hearing all of this.

"I guess...I should thank Zim for this."

~With Zim~

Zim's antenna's rose after Dib said that. "Thank Zim, but what have I done that deserves thanks from him?" He asked allowed.

"Because of Zim coming here, our fights, and now...this partnership we will be working on, I can now live out my dreams. I've always wanted to see other worlds, to know what else is out there, to see what is outside in space. I know we have had our quarrels, but maybe....just maybe...we could actually become f - HOLY CRAP!!!"

Zim jumped as Dib suddenly screamed. His grip tightened on the soda rather than loosened, whih was something that he was thankful for since he didn't want to spill it on his bed. "Stupid SMEET! You don't just randomly blurt stuff out like tha-"

"I COMPLETELY forgot again!!" The sound of Dib's voice cause Zim to silence. "I have to go to the mall tomorrow to buy Gaz a gift! On top of that, I should buy a new coat. But money is an issue! My Dad is rich, but we barely get money from him! Then again, the las time he gave me a lot of money, I bought that bug zapper that shocked that kid who's parents tried to sue my dad for. That case failed, but Dad was furious...I just couldn't take the mosquitos in the yard anymore!" Dib complained. He then sighed. "Oh, whatever! I just want to go eat and watch that stupid episode so I can go to bed!"

Dib then stormed up the stairs. Zim was, at this point, laughing at Dib's reaction to the whole scenario. As he calmed himself down, he rubbed his closed eye. "So, the Dib will be going to the mall tomorrow, huh? Maybe...it would be fun to stir him up there." He said to himself.

Zim then laughed aloud as the speaker shut off and retracted into the PAK. "Well, sleep is important for now. Even an Irken requires slumber to restore strength, so I shall. Lights off." Zim commanded, and in the base's underground, the lights dimmed down untill the room was pitch black. Zim pulled the covers closer to him as he placed the poop cola on the nighstand beside the bed. His eyes shut, and he drifted off.

~With Dib, 1 1/2 Hours Later~

Dib sat on the couch, a cup filled with hot chocolate was gripped in his hands. "Alright Dad, you wanted me to watch, and your show will be on in only a few minutes. I have been curious about this new project for a while." He said to the television, then took a sip from the large, hot cup in his hands.

"Game Slave 2 is now OBSOLETE!" An announcer exclaimed on the television, causing Dib to perk up as he lowered the cup from his lips. "Game Slave 3 is NOW AVAILABLE IN STORES!!!" The voice screamed as Dib's eyes bugged. "With more expansive controls, a faster pace, and more actions to fend off the vampire piggies! Get it now!"

Dib smiled wide. "That's perfect." He stated aloud, then took another sip as the logo for "Probing The Membrane Of Science" appeared across the screen.

"Today, I will be discussing the limits of laser technology." Professor Membrane said as Dib placed the cup aside on the end table to his left. He pulled the folded blanket on his right open, and spread it across himself. He pulled his legs up onto the couch as he laid down across it. He pulled his glasses off his face, placed them on the end table, then rested his head against the left arm of the couch. He listened to his father talk about lasers, noting that his speech revolved around laser guns. He felt himself drift off as his father along with some other professors started an experiment on request.

~The Hospital~

Outside the hospital, Zackery and Rosey were standing beside each other in front of a blue mailbox. Rosey opened it, then dropped a brown box inside. "This should reach Dib's home in the morning after tomorrow." Rosey said as she released the handle.

"Good, he will need them, especially when we are gone." Zackery said, eyes on the ground. "Alright, let's get to the ship. We need to find Bakapser, I saw his ship fly towards planet Leavenowia." Zack said, head raising.

"I don't like that place." Rosey responded. She simply followed him to the ship anyways.

~Zim's Home~

GIR tossed the door open. "Bye bye, pig!" He yelled, waving outside the door before slamming it shut loudly. He then walked over to the couch, and hopped on the seat. He stared at the television which had been left on, finding that he was falling into sleep mode. As he sat there, he never noticed the small camera sittng on the end table beside the couch.

~Tak's Ship~

"Yes, I should arrive at Blorch tomorrow, in the morning, My Tallest." Tak said to a screen projected from her PAK.

"Great! Just remember to report more often, invader Tak. Bye." Purple said, and the projection cut off.

"Master?" MiMi asked, confused as to what Tak was actually doing, since last she knew they were on a course for Earth.

Tak, facing the opposite direction of MiMi, spun her chair around to face the SIR. "I apologize for the confusion, MiMi. I've been doing a lot of sneaking around and dirty work as of late, under the commands of a higher authority." Tak said, proping her head on her hand, elbow on the chair.

"The Control Brain, my Queen?" MiMi asked.

"Precisley. The Control Brain has been ordering me to do many odd things. I've been very suspicious about many things, wondering as to what that one thing she mentioned happens to be..." Tak said, deeply into her thoughts.

"What would that be, my Master?" MiMi asked.

Tak's long, narrow, purple eyes looked seriously at MiMi's stern red ones. "I want to know what "The Irken's Rise" is." She said.

MiMi blankly stared at Tak's eyes for a moment. "I have completed a search, and no records of this label are existant." MiMi explained.

"See? There are far too many strange things going on lately. As for the Tallest, I've been commanded by The Control Brain to not inform them of anything, so I have been lying to them left and right." Tak explained, then took in a deep breath. "I don't want you to be confused, I am still heading for Earth." She finished, letting out a stressed sigh.

"Acknowledged." MiMi responded, and the two of them swiveled their chairs to face the front of the ship, staring out at the vast sea of stars before them.

~?????? ???? ????~

"Alright, Zim." A young voice called out in the darkness of a cramped room. "I want to make sure you are safe for him to be around." He said, his voice sounding to be low pitched, and quiet, almost as if he didn't talk too often.

"Are you sure this is a good idea? Is this safe?" Another young voice asked, his voice being higher in pitched, more full of life than the other.

"It's fine." The lower voice said, a pale hand entering the light of the computer's monitor. It reached up to his pale face, passing his cheek and chapped lips to push up his black-framed glasses slightly. "He'll never know we're watching him." His voice added calmly.

* * *

Alrighty! I hope you guys are ready, for this story shall now advance towards awesome fun from here on out! The story will become more complex, deep, and fun. Enjoy it! ^^


	13. Principle's Hush And Mall Rush!

The Irken And The Earthling's War And Love  
Chapter 13  
~Principle's Hush And Mall Rush!~  
_[ZaDr]_

Dib felt his body being shook by a large hand. His eyes cracked open, and on sight of a large white blob, he snapped them open. His eyes skimmed this figure, recognizing it to be his father.

"Dad!" He called as he sat up on the couch. The blanket covering him fell down into his lap as he outstretched his arms.

"Hello, Son!" Professor Membrane said energetically as he wrapped his huge arms around Dib. Dib was happy to see his dad after all the crap that had been happening. He and his dad pulled back from the hug. "I'm sorry I've been away so much lately, Son. Even worse is the fact that I'm not off the hook too much, but my hours are loosening a bit. Anyways, before I have to go again, I must give you a gift." He said.

"A gift?" Dib asked excitedly. He reached over to the table, and grabbed his glasses, then put them on his face.

"Yes, Son!" Membrane responded as he picked up a blue paper-wrapped gift box that he had left on the coffee table to greet his son. "I've been working hard on this for you. Here you are." He handed the box to Dib, who took it carefully in his hands.

"Thanks Dad!" Dib cheered, happy that his father had taken the time to hand-make something. He ripped half of the paper off with the stroke of his hand, and popped the top of the box off.

Inside, Dib saw something that made his eyes light up. It was a white laser gun, with a dial that had four settings on it. He gripped the handle, finding that it was made with some type of very sturdy material, and the trigger was quite big. "Wow..." He said quietly.

"Let me explain about that laser gun. It has been made to have three actual settings aside from its current off setting. The first setting labeled BW is the Brain Wipe setting. It places a person in a zoned out state, disabling them from doing anything!" Membrane explained.

"Cool!" Dib exclaimed. "What does the ST label stand for?" Dib asked, curiously.

"ST stands for the Stupify setting, where the target will be under your control completely." The Professor explained.

"Nice, maybe I can get Zim to listen to me for once with it." He said, snickering. "What's the last one, Dad?"

"The last setting is labeled SP, which is the Spark Shock setting. It blasts the target with a lighting-like laser." He explained.

"Awesome! Thank you, Dad!!!" Dib yelled.

"Ha ha, your welcome, Son. If your sister wakes from her comatose state, I'll give her a gift for her birthday, and a gift for being gone so much." He said.

"That's good, Dad." Dib said, his face and voice softening as he spoke.

"Well, I must leave, but I will come see you soon, Dib. Goodbye." Professor Membrane said, then walked out of the house through the front door, shutting it softly.

Dib's eyes scanned the clock, which read 5:23 AM. "Hmm...alright, I should prepare for skool." Dib said.

~Zim's Base~

Zim stood at a table in the middle of a large medical room in his base. He had a large amount of various beakers, test tubes, odd tools, and many other items and pieces of equipment scattered atop the five tables in the room. Four of the tables lined the walls, and one stood in the center, where Zim currently worked.

In front of Zim was a large glass container. In this container was a bubbling, pink liquid. It was standing on top of a silver, square platform, which was extremely hot. This was a device Irkens sometimes used when they were in a rush, because the platform could warm up containers, meals, and other such things quicker than a flame or any sort of cooking unit.

"Hmm..." Zim straightened his posture, crossing his arms as he stared at the bubbling liquid. "It appears that the liquid is indeed missing something important. It's capable of fixing my PAK, and I have fixed the memory glitch that would have occured upon injection." Zim said aloud. In actuality, he was speaking to GIR, who wasn't listening. No, he was busy eatting a plate of waffles at the table behind Zim.

Zim frowned as he picked up a device to his left. He held this device up to the glass container, a few inches away from it. This device was square with two handles sticking out of it, and with the interlink of his PAK and this piece of Irken technology, the device started to function.

On its large, black screen, it read "Analyzing..." in white hues, the word phasing in and out of existance. Then, the word changed to "FATAL".

Zim released a sigh of frustration as he read over the only problem he could not find an answer for. 'Everything has been weaved together perfectly in this potion, except for one detail! That one problem is with my PAK's Central Core! If I use it straight like it is, the potion will fry my Core's outer layer, and when the interior is exposed, the potion will...eat away at everything that is vital to my existance!' His mind screamed angrily as his body shuddered at the thought.

Zim then reached for one of his PAK's strap, and pulled it off of his shoulder, followed by the other. As he tugged the PAK off of himself, he let out a pained groan as two black cords retracted into the PAK's underside. He shifted the PAK so that the underside faced his chest, his hands tightly gripping the straps.

Zim could hear the ticking rising from his own back, where the PAK had been inserted into his body. In the location, there was a chip implanted from the PAK, and it's been there since his PAK was attached to him as an Irken smeet. This chip held what he knew as his life clock, and when it senses the presence of the PAK inserted into Zim, it is dormant. However, when his PAK is removed, it ticks down from ten minutes. It causes Zim to hear his own heartbeat pound in his head, and if it reaches the extreme, he can feel his heartbeat wrack his whole body until it fully disables him.

Zim shook the thoughts away as he listened intensly to that ticking, his eyes scanning the PAK's faded, etchy undershell. 'What am I supposed to do to stablize your core? Huh? I cannot confront the Almighty Tallest about this, and the Dib must not know, either. I can't let this problem continue though!' He thought, lightly shifting the PAK a bit closer to himself.

Zim gawked down at it for seconds, then he gently placed it down on the table before him, the underside facing the table. "Though I have no conclusive answers right now, all I can do is pop pills to stop the pain and oil it down so it will at least function decently." Zim said to GIR, who listened, but responded with the sounds of him chewing on his waffles.

Zim grabbed the bottle of oil on his right, already having consumed a pill and showered. He sighed as he applied some of the oil to the PAK's back, then grabbed a white rag and started to rub the PAK with it. The oil spread over the PAK's soft skin, and slowly the PAK absorbed it.

"If I don't correct this soon, it could cause me horrible problems. I might either go to Irken Rehab or it might even get me killed. Perhaps I can discover an ingredient that can stabilize the core's outer skin on another planet." Zim said. "I have to fix my PAK, I can't be acting screwy when we're in serious situations..."

"But Master, you always act stupid during serious situations." GIR stated, then shoved a large piece of waffle in his mouth to stop himself from laughing.

"Silence! I do not!" Zim yelled, shifting to face GIR, and pointing a finger at him.

GIR stuffed a huge bite of the waffle into his mouth. "You are still stupid." GIR said, food jammed in his mouth. Because the food was in his mouth, it came out to sound like "Yuu aah strill stuupih."

"I'm glad you see things my way." Zim said, completely oblivious to what GIR had even said, and mearly asuming that he took back the stupid comment. Zim glanced up at the clock. "5:33...I can continue some tests to figure out what type of composition the additional ingredient will require to protect the core." Zim said, then shifted in the chair to face the table.

GIR swallowed the mouthful waffle in his mouth, and smiled. "I want to explode..." He said happily.

~Skool, A Small While Later~

Dib walked into the classroom and over to his desk. He was dressed in black boots, black jeans, a dark purple shirt with a light purple apethetic face, and a black and dark purple stripped wrist band on his left wrist. He sighed as he pulled his backpak off his back, and placed it on his desk with a sigh. "What will happen now? Miss Bitters might send Zim and I down to the Underground Clasrooms again! Besides...what is up with that place, anyways?" Dib sat down, head propping up on his hand.

Zim then walked into the room, his PAK secure against his back. Dib's eyes shifted to Zim's pink shirt, slowly raising up to his purple eyes. "Even if we are partners now, we should act like we hate each other's guts." Dib said, a bit sourly.

"Agreed, we cannot let them become suspicious. Besides, we aren't exactly friends or anything." Zim said, then walked over to his seat.

"Fine then." Dib said with a definate nod. 'Does this mean...I could still be stabbed in the back by Zim?' His mind wondered as he looked out the window, attempting to distract himself from Zim.

'The human...he seems on edge.' Zim thought as he adjusted the wig just slightly on his head, to give his anntenas a chance to shift rather than be cramped in that position they were in. 'Well, whatever. After this skool day, we will be attending the mall. This will be interesting...' He though deviously, his purple eyes lighting up at the plan he had laid out.

Other kids started to pile into the room, and finally Miss Bitters arrived on the sound of the bell. She sat down at her desk and started to sift through the papers on it. She then lifted up one, eyeing it oddly.

She placed it down before her, and she looked up at Dib, then to Zim. "So it is true, you two did escape the Underground Classrooms, huh? Well, the Principle would like to see the two of you, pronto." She hissed at the two of them.

Zim and Dib locked eyes with one another. They both thought back to that time when Zim wanted to be skool president, and what happened to Willy when he was brought forth to the president. They both slowly rose from their seats, and walked out nervously.

The two stopped as a hovering cart manned by a large guy in a black suit strolled over to the two of them. "Come on, I'll take the two of you to the Skool's principle." He said.

Zim and Dib exchanged glances, then jumped aboard. The hover cart started to drift through the halls at an easy pace. The man faced away from the two Irkens as he steered the strange cart down the hallways.

Dib came close to Zim, standing so close that their feet were almost touching, as well as their foreheads. "Zim, what do you think? Are they going to wipe our brains? Make us forget everything except for what they want us to know?" Dib asked in a low whisper.

"I will NOT allow that." Zim harshly whispered back. "We must not let anything like this happen to us, do you understand? We are Irken invaders, and we must be here to aid the Irken Empire!" He whispered, his voice dropping a slight bit more in pitch this time.

"Yeah, I get it. Hopefully we can just worm our way out of this." Dib said.

Dib watched Zim's eyes as he saw them light up slightly. "I have an idea. Just follow my lead, and do not, I repeat, do NOT screw anything up." Zim whispered sternly.

Dib nodded slightly in responce. "Right." Was his simple answer that tugged a confident smile on Zim's lips.

The two of them turned to face the front of the cart, this causing their elbows to collide. "What what you're doing, Earth smell!" Zim yelled.

"Sorry!" Dib yelped as he side stepped away from Zim a good foot.

The cart kept moving as it reached a hallway which made Dib's heart start to thump slightly quicker. Most of the ceiling's lights were out as the cart suddenly came to a stop. It turned 180 degrees in the air.

The man that was manning the cart suddenly turned to the two boys. "Alright, this is the furthest I will take you. From here you're on your own." He said.

"Wait a minute! Why won't you take us to the end of this hallway?" Dib asked, noticing that they were only a couple of feet down this hallway.

"Because, nobody wants to go down towards that place." The man said simply. He then hit a switch as his other hand gripped the small piece of the fence barrier that extended to only the front of this mechanism they stood upon.

The switch caused the hover cart to rear up, and Zim and Dib both tumbled backwards off of it. They landed on the floor, Zim on his ass and Dib on his back as the hover cart drifted back up the hall, and rounded the corner to the right.

"Dammit!" Zim cursed as he got up off the ground. He dusted himself off as he continued to speak. "I can't stand how selfish the humans here are! They leave you behind when you friggen need a ride just because they are scared!"

Dib just continued to lay on the floor, his fingers lacing as his eyes stared up at Zim. "Irkens aren't any better." He said casually.

Zim lowered his head to look down at Dib. "Eh? Who asked you?!" He piped.

"Well, there's no point in throwing down humans about something that the Irkens are just as bad with. That's just stupid."

Dib's monotone voice was gnawing at Zim's nerves. "No, Irkens are more superior than humans in every way!" Zim yelled, not having any better comeback but fall back on.

Dib rolled his eyes, then smirked up at Zim. "Okay, superior, short one." He spat, knowing how much height mattered to the Irkens.

Zim's eyes narrowed as his frown deepened. "You aren't any taller than me." He said.

"Oh yeah?!" Dib yelped, unlaced his fingers, then jumped up onto his feet. "Well let's see, then!"

Zim and Dib faced each other, and they drew close, but had a couple-inch gap between the two of them. Zim pulled the wig off his head, allowing his antenna's freedom. They stood up staight and tall, and then looked up. Zim's antenna's stretched out above Dib's spiked hair, making Zim smile wickedly as he placed the wig back on.

"HAH! Pathetic Dib! I AM taller than you! That means I am the leader, you are to do what I say, and I am SUPERIOR!!!" Zim's loud voice roared.

"...This sucks." Dib said, knowing that if he were to say that "height doesn't matter" the two of them would only fight about it. "So this means you'll be the leader when we're journeying to other worlds, you want to be the leader?" He decided to ask.

Zim was silent for a couple of seconds, his expression turning void of emotion. "No Dib, it means I will be the leader no matter what we must do." He said, then grinned widely.

"Oh, wonderful..." Dib said, no enthusiam what-so-ever.

"Now come, human STENCH!" Zim commanded, then started to walk down the hallway in a proud manner.

Dib on the other hand looked down the hall and saw that doom had been written all over the walls. "This won't go well...will it?" He asked the darkness as he started to walk down the hallway.

Dib quickened his pace so he would reach Zim's side. He felt his stomach drop as he scanned the lights. One was on, another was off, one was on, another was off. 'This isn't normal....the lights are on and off in a perfect pattern.' The thought teased his panicing mind.

Zim could feel Dib was nervous, this didn't surprise him because he was nervous himself. Zim would never admit to his feelings when they were weak feelings, because his ego just wouldn't allow that. More so than that, his PAK restricted him from admiting to such things. He had feelings, he had a personality, but his PAK blocked him from reaching his real life. The real Zim was locked away inside, because the PAK wanted nothing more than to please the Tallest, and that was all. If that meant that no Irken could reach their true selves, then so be it.

Even though Zim knew this, he still worked hard for the Almighty Tallest. That was because he had no voice, no choice, no relief. He was reduced to being a working drone.

Zim's PAK suddenly opened, causing Dib to jump a bit as he had not expected this. A Spider Leg came forth with the small, purple sphere of Irken gum from the previous day. The good thing about the Irken Pak was the unreal storage compartment inside, which, like Irken freezers, kept food and liquids fresh for years. They far surpassed human technology when it came to food, liquids, and anything having to do with these necessities.

Zim's fingers lightly gripped the sphere as his Spire Leg swiftly retracted. Dib stared at the purple sphere, wondering what it was. 'It must be some type of Irken food, perhaps strengthening, perhaps powerful, perhaps-'

Dib's thoughts were cut off as Zim popped the sphere in his mouth. He started to chew on it, Dib watching curiously as he noticed Irkens chewed slower than humans did. The chewing continued, which made Dib wonder when Zim would swallow.

He then saw a purple bubble form from Zim's lips. It popped, and Zim quickly sucked the gum back into his mouth, his tongue aiding him. He chewed it calmly as Dib's curious expression drooped.

'Okay....it's just gum.' He thought, disappointed that it wasn't anything cooler.

The two of them reached the corner, and they turned right. Dib slowed slightly as he looked down the hallway here. On top of the continuing pattern of on and off lights, near the end of this hallway the lights were completely out.

"Uhhhh..." Dib's voice drew the sound out for a long time as he stared at the pitch black, where the door to the principle's office should be.

"Let's just go." Zim said, grabbing Dib by his right upper arm and pulling him along down the hall.

Dib didn't understand it, but he felt his cheeks flush just slightly as Zim's claw wrapped around his arm. He walked a bit quicker as Zim quickened his own pace. They moved down the hall, Dib's pupils dilating as they reached the darker area. He started to slow down, as Zim felt this response, he started to slow down himself. They both slowed to a stop, only a couple of feet into the dark.

"What?" Zim asked, his advanced eyes seeing the barely visible color on Dib's cheeks, but not really aknowledging it. His eyes focused more on Dib's eyes, observing how huge human eyes grew in the dark.

"Y-You remember what they did to Willy, right? Maaybe we should lie to Miss Bitters and say that we already talked to th-"

"No Dib." Zim promptly cut the human off. "You were out of skool the day a student was given central detention for lying about seeing a custodian about a locker issue. Imagine what would happen if we lied about seeing the principle!"

Dib stared blankly at Zim for minutes, before he jumped. "Woah! Okay, let's just hope we don't get brain wiped!" He said, then stepped closer to the door.

Zim rolled his eyes, then stepped forth beside Dib. Dib reached for the double doors, feeling around for the handles, then pulling the doors open cautiously once found.

The duo walked into this dimly lit room, the ceiling light being set on it's lowest setting. Once they reached the inside of the room, they both shifted uncomfortably as the doors shut behind them with a loud slam.

A long table was set before them, mysterious skool staff members sitting at it. Their figures all cascade in the darkness of the room, the one sitting at the head of the table, spoke. "You are Zim and Dib Membrane, correct?"

"Yes, we are." Zim's strong voice said as he nodded a bit. 'Even my eyes can't see their faces...or anything.' He thought, a bit disturbed by this fact.

"Perfect." The voice practically purred as it spoke. "As you should have already realised, I am the Skool's principle. I do recall seeing the two of you when we recruited Willy as student President, or perhaps we best label him as Skool puppet." The voice hissed.

"Yeah, we remember." Zim said, obviously taking full control of the situation on the Irken behalf.

"Good. That's a good student." The principle's low voice said, as though he were speaking to a dog. "I hope your loyal mouths work as well as you brains do."

"What are you talking about?" Dib asked.

"I'm speaking about the incident yesterday." The principle said slowly. "The two of you returned from the Underground Classrooms. In fact, neither of you were there for long, minutes, if that."

Dib swallowed a large amount of suliva as Zim took a single step forward. "Yeah, what is the deal with the underground, anyways? I saw nothing but an empty room down there."

"Oh, but you know a bit more, don't you, Dib?" The principle asked, leaning forward as all of the head shifted so they couild view Dib better in the poor lighting of the room.

Dib breathed a bit quickly as he shifted uncomfortably under the weight of the staffs' eyes. "I only know that kids who go to the Underground Classrooms can never leave." Dib admited, in that speedy voice of his that turned up every now and then.

The principle went silent as his hand cuffed his own cheek. "I guess I could tell the two of you a little." His voice hissed out, raising a chuckle from the throat of the man on his right. "The Underground Classrooms are there to house...corrupt students. The students that go down below stay there, living within the dorms set up for them. They do nothing but eat, sleep, and attend special classes."

"So why...are we here?" Dib asked, unsure as to why the principle was even telling them this bit of information.

"Because you were both pulled out during the chaos." He said. "You see, some people broke into the Skool underneath. Some of the students were killed, some were injured. The two of you dissappeared when the intruders did." The principle said, now folding his hands on the table before him.

"So, what is it that you want from us?" Zim asked, one purple eye wider than the other.

"Want?" The principle asked, voice genuinely curious.

"Yeah, if you're going to tell us those things, apparently you want something, correct?" Zim asked.

The principle chuckled a slight bit. "Well, I do want one thing. I want the two of you to keep quiet about everything you know about the Underground Classrooms. More importantly, you are restricted from entering the Underground Classrooms. If you disobey, we will send you to a special area in the Underground Skool, where you will never be seen or heard from again. In short, I do not want either of you to poke your noses any further into the underground, and we will allow you to remain here on the surface level if you obey. Do I make myself clear?" His voice was low and grizzly, emphasising the last sentence with an erie dark swirl to his voice.

Zim and Dib felt their voiced fade temporarily, opting to nod in response instead.

"Excellent. You may return to your classroom, and don't forget our small agreement." The principle said, a wicked smile in his voice.

Zim backed up a few steps nearing the door, and as he turned to face it, he noticed Dib was standing in the same location. He grasped the boy's hand and pulled him towards the door quickly, snapping Dib out of his stupor. They reached the doors which Zim mearly kicked open with one powerful blow, then he rushed through, Dib being pulled along as the doors shut behind the two of them.

Zim released Dib's hand, noticing the light tint over the human's cheeks once more, but ignoring it again. He backed up, PAK connecting with the wood of the door before he slid down into a sitting position on the floor. Dib stared down at Zim as he cocked an eyebrow in confusion at him.

"What's the matter, Zim?" The half breed asked the full blooded Irken.

"That principle really knows how to shut up a person, doesn't he?" Zim asked, staring passed Dib at the wall. "He gives off the same feel as Miss Bitters. The others in that room have the same effect as well."

"Feel?" Dib asked, taking a single step closer to Zim.

"Yeah, it's not...the feeling I get from normal humans." He said, his gaze shifting up to Dib's eyes. "It's not familiar at all..."

Dib shifted slightly from the discomfort that took hold of him from this knowledge. "Zim..should we just go back to class, now?" Dib asked, his voice quiet.

"Yeah, let's go." Zim said, raising up from the floor, then dusting himself off. "I won't let foolish human filth take any Irken to their human cage. That includes you, Dib."

Dib was at a loss for words as the Irken before him said this. He mearly stared wide eyed at Zim as he started to head past him. 'Does Zim....actually consider me as an Irken?' Him mind wondered.

"Come, Dib-stench." Zim said in a more gruff voice, not slowing his steps at all.

With a quick nod, Dib started to follow after Zim.

~Hospital, Gaz's Room~

Gaz lay across the hospital bed, the beeping of her heart still quicker than that of a normal person's. A male doctor in his early thirties stood over her, writing down notes on a clipboard via pen.

"This is looking quite bad for her. It seems as though...she's slipping away." He said, then shook his head as he clicked the pen's button, pulling its tip into the cylinder. "This battle is completely in her hands." He then walked out of the room, closing the door lightly behind himself.

"Good, I never thought he would leave." Came a far too familiar voice, accompanied by its feminine, unforgetful accent. Hanging on the ceiling above was Tak, her Spider Legs clinging tightly to it.

Her Spider Legs retracted as she fell to the floor, landing daintily on her feet. She was in her human disguise, finding things would be far easier if she could just reveal her Irken self and weild her skills out of secrecy, but having to blend in with the life on this planet. She swiftly turned away from the door to face Gaz. Her antennas twitched twice as she approached Gaz's bedside. When she reached the unconcious human, she stood there, staring down at her face in confusion.

"Well, the Control Brain said I would see why I need to be here, so why is it? Is this human perhaps important? Valuable? Does she have meaning..?" Tak asked aloud, as though Gaz was supposed to give her an actual answer.

Tak narrowed an eye in further confuion. She felt the bed's sheet over Gaz's stomach, patting it a bit before pulling her hand back to her side. "Why is she so thin? Her skin is more pale than the other human's as well." She asked aloud. "This certainly is not normal..."

She then looked up at the heart rate monitor. She observed it carefully, and from previous research she had done as she tried to take Zim's place, she could tell that her heart rate was too quick. "The rise..." She breathed, then shook her head.

She spun to face the door, glaring as though she were awaiting some type of beast to march through it. "On top of something strange happening with her apparently comatose state, she isn't being cared for appropriately at this hospital!" She yelled angrily. She turned her head towards Gaz for a couple of seconds, looking at the human in pity. "I'll do what I can for this human...I hope to my Tallest I can help her, since the Control Brain wants this girl's safety..." She said softly. With a small sigh, Tak unleashed a Spider Leg with a handheld analyzer in its clutch. She took it from the metalic appendage.

~Skool, Another Small While Later~

"So now you all understand why becoming a Marine Biologist will go horriobly wrong." Miss Bitters stated in her gruff voice, hands folded on the desk so tightly that Dib noticed her knuckles turning white.

"But Miss Bitters, why would someone make a dolphin swallow a dynamite stick, anyways?" Zita asked in her annoying voice, making Zim bit his lip as he tried so hard to not rabidly attack the human who sat behind him.

Miss Bitters mearly stared at her, blinking once in what seemed to be a full three minutes. "Zita, there are a lot of things in this world that nobody understands. Don't bother questioning it." She explained in her monotone voice.

The telephone suddenly buzzed beside her. It wasn't even a normal ring, it was a sharp, loud buzzing soulnd that made Zim feel as though it would break his teeth. Miss Bitters let out an exasperated sigh as she picked it up with inhuman speed.

"What?" She asked. As she paused for a few seconds, Dib looked down at his bag, and unzipped it. He shuffled his hand around inside of one of the smaller pockets.

"Yes, we have a class filled with many failing students." Miss Bitters said. "Yes." She added, nodding and staring at Zim, who was grinding his upper fangs against his lower lip a little out of annoyance at the humans around him, and their disgutsing habits.

Dib pulled out a shimmering device that fit in his hand perfectly, bringing a small smile to his face as he looked it over. It was a black cell phone, one he had gotten from his sister at Christmas time. He didn't know many people who had cell phones, in fact he only knew that Swollen Eyeball members, his sister, and students at Skool had cell phones. His father didn't carry one, and Dib himself didn't usually carry a cell. He decided he would start to carry it now, getting a very strange feeling that he should keep it with him.

"That will be fine. Yes, I would appreciate that as well." Miss Bitters said into the phone, humming a small bit between sentences.

Dib flipped the cell phone open, clicking open his text messages. Zim glared at Poonchy who was adjusting the black strap around his messy, violet hair.

"...Do you REALLY want me to teach my students about THAT?" Miss Bitters spat viciously into the phone.

Dib read over a perfectly texted message on his cell phone. It was written by the only person he knew who texted with perfect spelling and grammar aside from himself, who was Agent Tuna Ghost. The message said:

_Dib, I have picked up a very weird signal from below your skool. Do you know anything about it?_

Dib bit his lip as he quickly started to text his reply back. Zim's eyes darted around the room, landing on the clock as he started to sweat. 'I can't take this filthy place...' His mind hopelessly, pessimistically thought.

"Fine, I'll start that lecture now." Miss Bitters said. She then nodded as she listened to the final words being spoken to her over the phone.

Dib sent his reply as he opened another text message on his phone. This one was from Agent Nessie.

_Dib, ur emails r piled up! Why wont u reply? Worthless dog whisperer!_

Dib sighed, knowing full well that Agent Nessie would never let that incident go. He got more crap about it from Nessie then he did from Darkbootie, which he found surprising. With a small shrug, Dib started to text Nessie back.

Zim then looked over at Dib, watching as he texted on his cell phone. 'What the hell is that Earth device?' Zim wondered, having never seen a cell phone before. Irkens commuinicated through simpler devices, and he had only known about the human telephone, not the cell phone. 'He appears quite quick with it, though.'

Zim's eyes ran over the other humans, seeing a lot of them were using similar devices. He then noticed that they were keeping these things out of Miss Bitter's sight, which also made him curious as to why. He had used plenty of devices in front of her and she never cared, so why did these pieces of technology have to be hidden?

Miss Bitters bitterly muttered a "thank you" before slamming the phone down on its resting spot, and she glared up at the classroom. "I have to teach all of you horrible children about our surrounding planets, and what we know about them." She said. "This lesson will be full of complete bullshit." She added.

Half of the students jumped at the usage of the curse word, making Zim give them a questioning look. Dib rose his hand, and spoke when Miss Bitters looked over at him sourly from behind her silver glasses. "Will aliens be involved in this?" He asked, being one of the few students who also ignored her cursing.

"No, no there won't be." She said, making Dib hang his head. "We will discuss the planets and their composure. It will be boring and have little to no fact behind any of it, so make sure you all believe every word of it." She said in her intimidatingly dark voice.

~Leavenowia~

Zackery held his gun arm up against his chest. His right cheek had been splattered with black blood, his clothes soaked in it and torn up, and his skin also scratched up. He was peering around a building, icy eyes glaring down an Akrian who had his back facing the humanoid. "Rosey, I want you to tell Dib that I-"

"It is not your time to die." Rosey persisted, shaking her head. "Go, kill Bakapser." She said. "We will see Dib again soon...I know it....before our time is up, we will speak with him once more.

With a nod, Zackery shot a laser from his gun at the Akrian, striking him. Bakapser immediately turned to face Zack, then charged straight at him. As this happened, Rosey slipped to another side of this building, hiding herself from the battling. "Gaz...I hope you live..." She whispered softly as she leaned back, listening to Zack battling. "I am so sorry for being such a problem...I know you two miss her much more than us....we never stop causing problems...our time will run out very soon...."

~At The Skool~

Miss Bitters yacked on about how horribly hot Mercury got while facing the sun. Zim could only shake his head at the memory of that time when he stared up at the sun, and his eyes burned up. The thought made him want to curl up in a ball and rock back and forth, but he easily resisted this action.

Fearing the thought that terrible memories would surface if he continued to listen to Miss Bitters, Zim looked over at Dib to distract himself. The words Miss Bitters spoke faded away as Zim watched Dib's actions, carefully observing the human as he tried so hard to block out the thoughts.

Dib stared boredly down at his cell phone as he texted Agent Tuna Ghost back. He took in a deep breath, then let it out slowly as he dropped the phone in his backpack. He then looked up at Miss Bitters. "There are no broken space crafts on Venus!" He yelled.

"I know that, Dib. I told you this was a bunch of trash that they want me to feed you." Miss Bitters snapped, making Dib fall back in his seat as his eyes found the floor.

Zim saw Dib's expression drop immediatly. Zim wasn't feeling any better by watching this reaction. Dib then shook his head with a frustrated sigh as his hand shot up. He didn't even wait for her to confirm that he could speak as he started to. "Miss Bitters, may I go to the bathroom, please?" He whined.

"Yeah, please, go dip your head in the toilet for all I care, just leave, because the less students I have in here, the quieter it is." She hissed.

Dib quickly snatched up his bag as he stood up. He pulled one of the straps over his shoulder, and headed for the door. Zim hung his head as he had nothing to break his concentration of the bad thoughts.

"Psst!" Dib hissed, causing Zim to jerk his head up. He saw Dib give him a small "come with me" hand motion as he walked out of the room.

Zim's hand shot up like a lightning bolt sparking across the sky. "Miss Bitters, may I please use the bathroom?" He asked, a tad bit loudly.

"Go." Miss Bitters said, waving him off like the ant-beast he was. Or in her mind, that is how she figures it.

"Thank you, Miss Bitters." Zim said, voice still a bit too high in pitch. He hopped up ot of his seat, and headed out of the classroom.

"Hey, Keith!" Chunk, the large, short orange haired boy called as he turned to face Keith.

"Yeah?" Keith, the annoying, curly orange haired, silver eyed boy, asked timidly.

"Weren't you friends with Zim, once?" Chunk asked.

"Yeah, I loved being his best friend!" Keith said, voice more stable and enthusiastic now.

Chunk chuckled a little. "Wouldn't you be so happy if you were his friend again?" He asked.

"Oh, would I ever?!" Keith exclaimed.

Chunk smiled deviously, a couple of other students turning around to smirk as well.

~The Grotesque Skool Bathrooms~

"Gotta find the notebook! No, that's the wrong one! Ah, no wait, here it is! Now what about my laptop?! Oh, here it is! Great!" Dib exclaimed from one of the bathroom stalls, his voice echoing off the walls of the bathroom.

He was kneeling on the floor, greatful that the rest room wasn't as gross as usual. He guessed that the custodians "cleaned" it recently, to keep up with the Skool's "image". With his backpack leaning against his right side and thigh, he placed his laptop on the floor in front of him gently. He turned the notebook to a page near the front, and placed it on the left side of the laptop.

"Now, headphones..." He mumbled to himself as he pulled a large pair of headphones out of his pack. He placed them over his ears and the top of his head, assuring that his hair's spike hovered over the contraption. He cranked up the volume on the laptop, then pushed his glasses a bit further up on his nose as he started to type rapidly on the keys.

The bathroom door opened, and Zim casually walked inside, letting the door swing shut with a soft thump. He walked over to the stall Dib was in, and leaned against the door as he listened to Dib type and mumble to himself from behind the closed door.

"No way, this can't be..." Dib muttered, eyes turning glassy as he stared at the screen.

On the screen was a video feed from Rosey. She was using a highly advanced camera that was built into her artificial body. The video was showing Zackery, who was in bad shape. His left arm was missing, half his hair had been...ripped out or something, and he was cover with black Akrian blood. Through the headphones, Dib would hear them speaking to Dib.

"Dib, I know that we are going to die here, we will die apart. Zackery...is nearing his end as we speak. We need you and the Irken Empire to kill the remainder of the Akrians. I know it will be hard on you to take care of them without us, but I believe in you, Dib." Rosey said, voice quiet.

Zim leaned a bit closer to the door as he listened to Dib's breathing become quicker. "Dib..?" His voice was just barely a whisper, and with the headphones cranked up, Dib was unable to hear his heartfelt call.

"Dib, I am dying, and I should be dead very soon. My sister will follow, she should die around an hour after I'm...gone." Zackery's exasperated voice started to say as he flinched a bit in pain. "I know I've screwed your life, and I want to see you turn out to be a strong Dib in the end. I...I'm so damn sorry, Dib..." He inhaled sharply. "I fought with Bakapser, he's badly injured now. Bakapser is still in the area, so we will take care of him. The surviving Akrians have scattered, and all are still a threat. Good luck Dib, and...farewell." Zackery said.

"Farewell, Brother Dib." Rosey said.

"This can't be....this can't be!" Dib yelled, tugging the headphones off of his head in one motion. As they came off, Dib felt his ears burn, causing him to hiss in pain, but he shook it off quickly.

His hand reached into the pack beside him, and pulled out the communication scroll he had received from the network before. He unraveled it, then clicked the button that would activate it. Immediately, Agent Tuna Ghost's silhouette appeared on the flexi-screen that paper held. He let the scroll go, and with the network's advanced technology, the scroll hovered above the floor, matching Dib's eyes perfectly.

"Agent Tuna Ghost! This can't be true! They can't both be dying!!" Dib yelled as his arms flailed wildly. "I-It must be ahh...some type of glitch or something! An Akrian's video feed! That can't be happening!!"

"I know that it's a lot to handle, but Agent Mothman, you must calm yourself. Nothing will become easier to take if you just stand there waving your arms in the air like a fool." Agent Tuna Ghost's monotone voice said. Dib's flailing ceased at once, as Dib slumped over a bit.

'What the hell is going on..?" Zim wondered, shifting slightly against the door to feel a bit more comfortable.

"Are...you absolutely sure this video feed is authentic?" Dib finally asked, after tripping over his own thoughts for some few seconds.

"Yes, Dib. If you are able to watch a dog eat waffles in an alien's house, then you can receive a video from a humanoid on another planet. They are both dying, and they wanted me to get a hold of you, so they could say their farewells to you." Agent Tuna Ghost explained, her voice becoming more soft as she spoke on.

Dib bit his lip, using this as a method to control his tears. "Th...Thank you, Agent Tuna Ghost. I'll get back to you when I get more information." Dib said, keeping his voice steady as she clicked a couple of keys on his laptop, shutting it down. Tuna Ghost nodded on the screen, and Dib clicked the button on it, shutting off the communication path. He gripped the scroll before the levitation function was deactivated, and he rolled it up, gently placing it into his pack.

Dib unplugged the headphones, and put that along with the laptop and notebook into the back pack. Dib sighed as he zipped the bag up, his eyes still glassy as he restrained the tears that nagged to fall. Dib lightly shook his head. "I don't have time to let anything get to me." Was what he told himself as he stood up. He pulled the back pack's straps over his shoulders.

Zim stood against the door, eyes closed as he listened to Dib's movements, his breathing. 'I would have to guess that Zackery and Rosey are the ones he is upset about. He's clearly not thrilled about whoever is dying, that's for sure.' Zim thought. 'This Smeet really does have problems, doesn't he? Heh, we are far too alike...'

Zim jumped back about five feet as the door started to open. Dib slipped out from behind it, and when he saw Zim, he completely froze in place.

"Dib?" Zim asked as he saw the human tense up.

Dib stood there staring at Zim. A single tear slid down the right side of his face, spilling its tiny particles over his stitches.

Dib reminded Zim of a little lost Smeet he once had to escort back on Irk. Dib's eyes were wide, as though he were afraid. But Zim understood that this was not fear reflecting in Dib's burnt-orange eyes.

Zim took two slow steps towards Dib, this bringing him only a single step away from the half human, half Irken. Zim's body posture clearly read that he was calm, collected, and confident. His eyes, however, had a softness to them that Dib found indescribable.

"We will pull through this together, Dib." Zim stated clearly. He outstreatched his claw in a lax manner.

Dib sniffled, then gripped Zim's right Irken claw with his left human hand. "Together, we will fight side by side to save our planets, and take over everyone else's planets." Dib said, his voice sounding more calm then he expected it to sound.

"Now you're talking!" Zim added in that prideful voice Dib heard from the Invader quite often.

Dib smiled a large smile in response, greatful that Zim was there. They released their hand lock and Zim started to navigate towards the door casually, Dib just standing there, staring at the Irken as he moved.

'I think....we might just be able to become friends. I think, that will be someday soon...'

With that single thought, Dib followed after Zim, matching his casual movements.

~Tenn's Ship~

MiMi sat in a corner of the ship, back proped against the left wall as her left shoulder leaned against the back wall. Her bright red eyes were glued to the window of the ship, watching as random podestians and cars passed by. The ship was cloaked, a new ability that was possible for any Irken ship suited with a morpher accessory.

The ship's top suddenly flew open, which caused MiMi to look over at it. Tak hopped inside, lightly walking to her seat. "MiMi, we need to locate my ship now. Once we find it, we can send Tenn's Voot Cruiser to Irk on auto pilot." She said as she sat down in her seat at the controls.

"Alright." MiMi responded.

Tak, still in human disguise, stared at the black anc silver robot. "Do you recall the girl who sprayed soda at us the last time we were here?" She suddenly asked.

"Yes." MiMi's robotic voice said.

"Well, I just visited her in the hospital." Tak started, swiveling around to face the control panel. "I believe the Control Brain wanted me to heal her, so I did what I could. Her heart beat is still too quick, and that could prove dangerous to her with ease. But I did seem to ease a bit of the pain she was under. I did notice that she wasn't in good health, and those hospital workers are not taking proper care of her." Her eyes leered in the lighting of the sun that shone through the window.

~Skool~

Dib sat down at his lunch table, placing his plate of rice swirled with ketchup down, then placing his strawberry milk carton down beside it. Dib did not like the cafeteria food as any sane kid would not, but he was one of the very few who learned how to stomach it without losing a liver. He picked up the fork, sabbed it into the skool's sad excuse for editable food, and shoved the ketchup covered rice into his mouth. His face twisted into a grimace as he chewed the detestable filth.

Meanwhile, Zim sat at his own table, one that was two tables away from Dib's. He also faced Dib, who faced him but didn't sem to notice him.

'Blind Irken Smeet. He does not notice Zim? His amazing leader who will lead him to conquest over vast worlds, escort him through foreign lands that will be filled with exotic creatures beyond his wildest dreams, and show him sights that will mystify him every which way he turns? He should do nothing by bow at my feet, really!' Zim thought.

Zim's eyes remained locked on Dib, who popped the milk carton open. Zim, who had bought a plate of food previously and shoved it to the left side of his table, propped his elbow on the table. His head rested against his hand as he narrowed his eyes at Dib slightly. 'Well, I guess I'm just happy that he's finally on my side, anyhow. We fought for so long, to find we are of Irken blood! Amazing...'

Dib slipped the straw in the milk carton. He lowered his head to the straw and sucked on it, drinking down some of the strawberry milk inside the flimsy container. He pulled back with a small gasp, realising just how long it's been since he last drank this type of milk.

"Wow, it's been ages since I've had this stuff! I forgot how good it tastes!" He exclaimed. "I'm talking out loud to myself. Damn. I need to stop that!"

Zim's left eye grew a bit as he stared at Dib. His left hand found the table's top and rested on its rough surface. 'Dib...I wonder if I could be his friend now. I've made a few Irken friends, not many, but I do talk with them every now and then. I could never be friends with Dib as his enemy, I could never even think of it! But as his partner, perhaps...'

Dib swallowed down a bit of the rice and ketchup, then coughed a little into his hand.

'...I don't have to feel so alone, anymore.' Zim's thoughts finished.

Zim smirked as he reached over to the drink sitting beside his plate that he had pushed aside. It was a cup of poop cola, and he brought it to his lips. He sipped on it happily, the bottom of the cup revealing that it was marked with an Irken symbol.

~Dib's Home, 4:32 PM~

Dib smiled as he combed his hair. He was excited, he loved going to the mall, and he wanted to get the Game Slave III for Gaz. 'I hope you recover soon, Gaz. The Game Slave III will be waiting for you.' He thought as he pulled the comb through his hair once more.

He placed the comb down at the sink in front of him, and stepped back. He then turned to face the glass mirror on the wall to his right. His smile widened as he felt he was prepared to go. "Alright! I have a little bit to do before heading to space with Zim! Man, everything is so-"

Dib jumped as the house started to shake. He heard a roaring sound, one that was so very familiar to him. 'So familiar...wait! This is the sound of space ship!' Dib's mind screamed as he rushed over to the window. He pushed the black curtain aside, the room softly filling with light of the soon to set sun. He watched as the grass outside flatened, as though something landed on top of it.

'Hmm...must be Zim.' Dib figured. He sighed as he pulled the curtain back over the window again, and then stood up. 'I guess I'd better go talk to him, before-'

The bathroom door suddenly flew open, the door knob slamming against the wall. Dib turned around to see Tak, in her true Irken flesh, standing before him. "Tak?!" He exclaimed, backing up a bit as he looked a bit worried.

"Dib, I see you remember me. You recovered my ship, I noticed, and hid it in the garage." Tak said as her sidekick swiftly glided into the room, shifting back and forth before halting in front of Dib in cat form.

"Uhh, yeah, how could I forget the Delishus Weenie alien storage and the pump-the-Earth-full-of-snacks plan?" Dib asked, folding his arms as his eyes focused on the SIR Unit standing before him. "Uh, as for your ship, it crashed in the yard when you were tossed out of our orbit, so I...hid it in the garage?" Dib said shyly, then smiled slightly up at Tak, eyes now focused on her rather than the intimidating robot in front of him.

Tak had a rather sour look on her face, which she switched to a relieved look as she sighed. "Well, better you than anyone else, I supose." She said. Her antennas leaned back in a relaxed manner as she she stared at Dib. "Dib, I must take my ship back." She said sternly.

Dib nodded. "Go ahead and take it." He received a confused stare from the female Irken, so he decided to clarify. "I always figured you would return and want your ship back, so it's alright." Dib said.

'I already have Zim's Voot Cruiser anyways.' He smirked at the thought, recalling that last time he saw Tak, he was against her as well as Zim. Now they may as well pour a few drinks and bust out the popcorn.

Tak tilted her head to the left a little. "Good, I don't have to wrestle you for my ship. That will make my mission shorter." Tak said, then turned around and started to walk.

"Wait! Are you after Zim's position again?!" Dib asked.

Tak had taken only a single step before she froze at the sound of Dib's voice. She turned her head to the side, one of her deep purple eyes locked on him. "No, I have FAR more important objectives now, and it's all thanks to Zim ruining years of my life, really. I thank you indeed for giving me my ship back, and for fixing her up as well." Tak said.

MiMi swiftly floated through the air and appeared at Tak's side. The two continued to look at Dib, as though waiting for something. Dib was only confused by this, so he spoke up. "What about Zim? What should I say to him?" Dib asked.

"Nothing." Tak stated roughly. "You shall say nothing to Zim about us being here." She then started to move away from the doorway.

"Tak, Zim and I are allies now." Dib stated.

Tak immediatly turned to face Dib. "What the-wh-wait! I thought the two of you were enemies fighting over this planet! What happened?" Tak asked, folding her arms as her head tilted far to the side.

"It's a LONG story..." Dib said, scratching the back of his head.

"I've got all the time in the universe to listen." Tak stated as she dropped down into a sitting position on the floor just to prove it.

With a shrug, Dib sat down in front of Tak, and started to tell her all about their gigantic quest that begun just from a normal day at Skool.

~Zim's Base~

Zim was standing in a holographic battle simulator in his base. He held that Irken weapon of his that he's used a few times. This area consisted of a white tile room, no windows were present, and only one door stood in this room. Zim threw his head back. "GIR!! Start me off with something small to let me warm up!" Zim yelled.

"Okaay!" GIR cheered from his location, which Zim could hear through the only other thing in the room; a built in speaker/camera in the ceiling.

GIR was sitting in a comfortable chair inside of a small room that was very silver in color anywhere you looked in here. In front of GIR was a control panel that operated the holographic battle simulator. Zim enjoyed training in it every now and then to keep his skills sharp, especially when he hadn't fought much for a while. GIR wasn't dressed in his dog suit, but he would be when Zim brought him to the mall later on.

GIR smiled as he gripped a huge dial. A small screen was built into the control panel just above this dial. GIR turned the dial, and a silhouette of a dog appeared. "No! Master said he needed something small...ehehe! That's what he could fight!!" GIR cheered as he spun the dial a couple more times.

Zim stared hard at the white wall before him, until he saw it turn into an Irken's evening sky. It turned to a deep dark hue of red as a small squirrel appeared in front of Zim.

"I hope the squirrel wins." GIR said as he stared at a light blue screen that displayed what was going on in the holographic battle simulator. In his grip was a potato chip bag, which he quickly snatched a couple of chips out of and tossed them into his mouth.

Zim stared down at the squirrel with a bored expression that was mixed with annoyance. The squirrel angrilly charged at him, which he promptly kicked it across the simulated evening Irken land, and it phased out of existance. "Grrrr.....GIIIIRR!!!!! Give me something harder!!!" Zim screamed.

"Okay!" GIR said. He cranked the dial over a lot, then pressed the button that would bring the silhouette to life.

Before Zim, a large armored moster formed. With black armor decorating its white fur, a giantly long sword in its grasp, and long claws that were as thin as pencils, it roared loudly at him. Zim glared up at the speaker/camera, knowing GIR could see his displeasure with ease if he did so. "I didn't mean KILL ME!!!" Zim screamed.

GIR curled up in a ball from his chair, and shoved another chip in his mouth.

Zim held up his Irken weapon, switching it to the laser gun setting before he shot five green laser beams at the monster. Each beam connected with the armor, but each burst without doing any damage to either armor or beast. "What?!" Zim yelled, then ran as the sword came down on his previous location.

Zim glared hard up at the foe as he tightened his grip on the silver square in his claw. "Okay...if I can't defeat you with the laser gun..." He muttered as he switched the square's mode to the sword. He then charged at the holographic being and slashed at its armored leg, slamming a large piece of the armor off onto the floor. "Hah!" Zim yelped.

Zim's short-lived victory feeling dispersed as the sword started coming down on him. "GIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" He screamed, and the whole holographic fight faded away. Zim panted heavily as he switched the weapon to off mode, then let out a long sigh in an attempt to calm himself down.

"Want to play again?" GIR asked playfully.

"NO GIR, I don't want to play this death trap again! I'm going to dismantle it tomorrow!" Zim shouted.

"Noo you're not-"

"SILENCE!" Zim snapped back at GIR, who cracked up laughing as Zim stomped over to the doorway. This was about how every battle simulation match went, Zim only getting a fair fight or two about 50% of the time. He threw the door open, not caring that it smacked hard against the cracked wall. He moved down the hallway, GIR comming out of the silvery room to follow after Zim.

"GIR, prepare yourself to go to the mall. We leave in 10 minutes." Zim commanded.

"Okay!" GIR yelled, giving a small salute to his master.

~Dib's Home / Bathroom~

"So we finally were able to return to Earth, but we'll be leaving in a few days to go to that planet, but that will be after we talk to the Tallest." Dib finished explaining as he pet MiMi a little on the head. In return for the pet, MiMi nuzzled his neck a little, rising a small chuckle from Dib's throat.

"...Wow. I never expected you to be of Irken blood, Dib." Tak said, pulling her legs closer to her from her curled up position. "So, you trust Zim now?" She asked.

~Zim's Base~

"Hmm...Dib must be going to the mall soon, huh?" Zim asked aloud as he reached his bed room in the base below the ground. "Well, let's have a listen..."

~Dib's Home / Bathroom~

"Trust...Zim?" Dib spoke the words so softly, slowly, he sounded unsure. Dib took in a small breath, then answered. "Well...I trust him more now than I ever have in the past...but I won't turn my back on him."

Tak nodded with a small smile. "I think the two of you are going to fair well on your journey together." She said, making Dib give her an odd look of confusion. The response only caused her smile to grow a small bit as Tak stood up. "Alright, I must go now, I have much I need to accomplish. You don't have to worry about me, I won't interfere with anything at all, Dib. The two of you need to keep your guards up, stay focused, and maintain your health, alright?"

"We will. Watch your back out there too, okay Tak?" Dib asked, patting MiMi on the head once more before letting the SIR scurry to her master's side.

"Of course. We part now, fare thee well, and we shall meet once again." Tak said, and when Dib smiled back in response, she along with MiMi bolted quickly.

Dib got up off the floor, and walked into the doorway, to hear one last piece of advice from the Irken. "Irken Dib! I must say, your door-locking habits suck if I was able to enter with such ease! Remember to lock this door from now on!"

"Oh...oops!" Dib yelped with a shrug as he heard the front door slam shut. With a sigh, Dib returned to the mirror, checking himself over once more before grabbing his backpack which he had dropped on the floor when he had started to prepare for the mall, then he headed towards the door.

~With Zim~

"DAMN!" Zim yelled in frustration. "What happened?! Only a SIR unit could remove that type of tracking device! It's been removed AND destroyed!!" Zim bitched as he tossed back and forth on his bed, thrashing his fists in the air. He growled viciously as he sat up on the bed, one fist shaking in the air. "Argh...I'll have to use my stealthy Invader skills to follow Dib, then. I'll scare him, and scare him good! But I also need to know what happened to that tracking device!" He snapped, then jumped up off the bed to prepare.

~Tenn's Ship~

Tak sat in the chair at the front of the ship, clicking buttons as the computer required them to be pushed. With a few more clicks, she swiveled the chair to face MiMi, who stood by the right wall. "MiMi, I have set the ship to drive on auto-pilot back to Irk. Let's go."

Tak pounded her fist on a big red button, and the top of the ship popped up. The two jumped out of the ship, and Tak shut the lid. She ran to the side of the ship, along with MiMi. Tak concentrated, and with the combination of Irken PAK and ship engineering crossed, she commanded the ship to fly up into the sky. The ship reaved, then started to fly, lifting off the ground slowly, but quickly gaining speed as it headed off into the everlasting sky above.

"Alright, auto-pilot will take over from here. Come MiMi, let us get our real ship, and once we return to the Delishus Weenie for a visit, we will rest." Tak explained to MiMi.

"What about our orders?" MiMi asked.

Tak turned away, her antennas raising ever so slightly. "Tomorrow." She stated. "We'll kidnap Dib tomorrow."

"Yes, my Master!" MiMi responded enthusiastically.

The two then rushed over to the Membrane's garage to retrieve the ship.

~Leavenowia~

"Zackery!" Rosey yelled as Zackery dropped to his knees. She dropped to his side and placed her hand softly on his right shoulder. "Zack..." She spoke the word softly as she stared at him, eyes glistening.

Zackery's head was down as he spoke through gritted teeth at first, his teeth unclenching soon after his first words."Rosey....it's for..the best. Our end has come. I just barely killed Bakapser, and this...is our fate."

"I know Zack...I know." Rosey said softly.

The two shifted into sitting positions, and without even needing to say it, they both decided to die together there. In the last bit of Zackery's time, Rosey chatted with him. He soon slumped over and stopped talking, so Rosey leaned back, and stared up at the sky above the two, awaiting her fated hour to pass. Siblings created from science were born together, and died together, before the Earth's sun had completely set.

~Inside Dib's Home~

Dib tossed the last book on the couch, then smiled as he looked inside his backpack. "Alright! I'm fully prepared now!" He exclaimed. He then zipped up all of the pouches that were open. "I'll restock the bag with my skool supplies tonight." He stated firmly with a small nod.

Dib listened as he heard the second ship's engine, before hearing it blast away. He smirked as he pulled the back pack's straps over his shoulders, and picked up a small bundle of money on the living room's coffee table. "It's some of my allowance that I've built up after helping Dad out in his laboratory. Man am I glad he's so rich! If he wasn't I'd be starved by now! If there's one thing I can say about Dad, it's that he at least keeps the house stocked and bills payed. Aside from that, he isn't really around much..." Dib shook his head. "The mall!" He shouted to remind himself that he was going out to enjoy himself for once, before possibly getting killed in space.

Dib shoved the money in his pocket and walked over to the door, opening it, and locking it before he shut it. Dib looked around his surroundings, both Tak's ship and Tenn's Voot Cruiser were gone, so he had to figure out how he would reach the mall, which wasn't too far from his current location, but far enough for him to certainly vote against running to it.

Something in his brain clicked as he snapped his fingers. "I still have that old bicycle in the garage! Yeah, about a month ago I was working on it so I could go to skool faster each day!" With that, he rushed towards the garage to retreive the bike he left there.

~The Mall, 13 Minutes Later~

From the sky lowered Zim's Voot Cruiser, and it landed in the empty side of the overly expansive parking lot. The top popped open and Zim sprung up from his seat, landing outside the Voot Cruiser. GIR used his jet pack to blast out of the vessal, then fell to land perfectly on the pavement. "WOOHOO!!!!" GIR cheered, tossing his stubby little arms in the air.

Zim was in his human disguise, his antennas hidden under his wig as his eyes were hidden beneath the astoundingly, realisticly human contacts. Zim looked over at the Voot Cruiser, his PAK's interlink shutting its top. From Zim's PAK came forth a Spider Leg holding a gigantic black blanket created of rough, sparkly fabric. The Spider Leg tossed this black blanket over the ship, and it covered the entire vehical. "Voot Cruiser Cloak, activate!" Zim commanded.

The blanket started to slowly shift in shape, like an air mattress would when being filled with air. The blankety soon stopped, and its colors changed to be completely different in every location of the blanket. "Success!" Zim screamed, his claws fisting and pulling down in victory. Before Zim now stood, what appeared to be, a giant, grey SUV. It looked like a real SUV...aside from the fact that it was overly large in size. Feeling triumphant, Zim started to march towards the giant building known as the mall. "Come GIR!" He commanded, and GIR quickly followed him to the doors.

Zim opened the doors, and looked around the area. The mall was GIGANTIC in his Irken eyes. It had three floors that were packed with stores. Zim had been here only once, and that was when he was returning that acursed tape to the video return before the FBI would come for him (or so he believes XD).

Zim looked over at GIR, who stood at his right with a red dog collar and brown leash attached. Zim gripped the handle of the leash a bit protectively, never knowing what this place could be like during the day. 'I can only imagine considering the way it is at night. All those laser security defenses, the zombies, that crazed man controlling the mall! If that was the mall during the night, then what is it like during the DAY?!' Zim's mind screamed.

Zim cautiously started to move forward, GIR following just as slowly as his mind was all over the mall.

~The Mall, 2 Minutes After Zim's Arrival~

Dib quickly pedaled, and came to a quick stop in front of the bicycle rack. He hopped off of the blue and black contraption, then leaned over and gripped the handles. He carefully pulled it up to the bars, and tipped it over so it leaned against the right side bars, proping it up perfectly. "Good!" Dib piped as he pulled his bag off of one of his shoulders. He tugged the bag to the side where he still had the strap over his shoulder. He unzipped the third largest pocket, and pulled out a chain and a padlock.

Dib wrapped the chain around two of the bike's supportive bars, and around a part of the par that supported the bike. When he had it tightly and securely wrapped around the bars, Dib linked the u-shaped metalic bar of the padlock through two of the appropriate links, and clicked it shut. "There!" Dib shouted, tugging a little on the chain. "It's a little lop sided, but it will have to do." Dib stated. He released the chain, zipped up his backpack knowing he had the padlock's key inside, and started to walk towards the front entrance to the mall.

As Dib approached the door he pulled the other strap over his shoulder. He then opened the door, and walked inside the mall. "Okay! So I need to buy Gaz the Game Slave III..." He started to say as he headed towards the game store almost immediately.

~With Zim~

Zim and GIR were aimlessly walking. As Zim's eyes nervously shifted around the mall, GIR's eyes curiously darted everywhere they could. 'Alright...I have to find Dib.' Zim reminded himself. 'Aside from that, I can always look around the stores and see what they hold.' Realsation dawned on Zim just then. 'Hmm...I don't need to study the humans, anymore. Nope...I just need to appear normal so they don't find me out, but aside from that, I don't need to gather information on them, anymore.' The thought of this made Zim feel so different. It was such a change from what he had previously been doing just a few days ago.

Zim walked, GIR once in a while rushing off in a random direction, only to feel the strong pull of the leash bring him back to Zim's side. They were walking in the center of the large bottom floor now, caught in the middle of the large sea of people.

"There are so many funny lookin' people heere!" GIR suddenly exclaimed as he quickly jerked his head this way and that way, looking around at all the people and objects in the area.

"Yes GIR, the human filth appear to really like this location..." Zim said mindlessly.

His eyes drifted across the crowd to his left, then they froze. Within Zim's vision was Dib, who was standing still and scanning the area from the platform of a solid, white bench. "The pointy haired pig smelly!" Zim shrieked, pulling GIR closer, but using the crowd to keep himself hidden from Dib's sight. 'I WILL scare you, Dib! I have the perfect plan, too!!' Zim thought as he continued to rush, half dragging GIR along with him.

Dib's eyes sweeped the area, darting between store signs as he tried to locate the gaming store. 'Bowstrap Staple, no that's a preppy clothes store. Closet Monsters, no that's a junk store. Grand Choco Stand, no that's a stinkin' candy store!' Dib's eyes then locked onto the store's sign that he was searching for. On the second floor, he spotted the title "Gamer's Enslaved Edge", the game store where Gaz bought her very first Game Slave.

"THERE!" Dib exclaimed as his finger shot out towards the store. He then jumped up out of his seat and ran towards a nearby escalator. He was slipping past the people here and there until he stood upon one of the huge escalator steps. His hand gripped the black grip designed for...gripping. He waited patiently as it slowly brought him higher up. That is when he notieced it.

Below him, he saw a rather large, akward shadow shift. This confused Dib, making him somewhat nervous. He slowly tilted his head upwards. The next thing he knew, he was screaming as he saw a quick green flash coming towards him from the ceiling.

'Wait a m-'

He couldn't even finish his own thoughts before Zim stood on the step in front of him. "Dib, you're easilly scared, aren't you? Hah ha!!" He piped victoriously.

"Z-Zim?" Dib asked. "I-ah..w-w-what??" He stuttered, not understanding what the hell was going on.

"I jumped off the ceiling at you and scared you, inferior HUMAN!!! HA HA HA HA!!!" Zim laughed loudly, pointing a gloved claw in Dib's face.

"Uh..." Dib coughed a tiny bit, and felt his cheeks burn slightly from embarrasment at his own reaction. The two were now at the top of the escalator, where they both stepped off and started walking, Zim following Dib casually. "Wh-what are you doing here, anyways?" Dib asked Zim sheepishly.

"I was bored." Zim said, the statement not being a complete lie as he was truthfully bored. "GIR!" He called to the dog-dressed robot who sat inside of a pot filled with soil, the plant that had previously been inside of it now missing. GIR waved, then jumped up out of the pot and ran over to Zim's side. Zim gripped the leash as he continued to follow Dib.

Dib glanced over at GIR, who gave him a random thumbs up. "Spiky is so squishy..." He said, drawing the words out in a bit of a creepy, low voice.

Zim gave GIR a strange look as he shifted to walk at Dib's left side, letting GIR walk to his own left. "Dib, what are you doing here at this human gathering location?" Zim asked, acting as though he hadn't the slightest idea why Dib would be there.

"It's called shopping." Dib said flatly. He bit his lip for only a couple of second before speaking up again. "Do Irkens ever shop?" He asked.

"Of course, we use Irken monies to shop. We don't have the kind of wealth problems that Earth has, though." He explained in a confident voice. "We don't have to pay for so many things, like humans do. We don't have charges for stupid things like transportation or program involvement, and we really don't use monies for much at all, really. Monies on Irk are used for getting upgrades of sorts, and we get our monies from our performance and participation in important things, like Operation Impending Doom II." Zim finished with a nod.

"Hmm...sounds so much more simple than the way Earth deals with money...people are so greedy." Dib said, head tilting down slightly in deep thought.

"Of course it's simpler! Our society is superior to any!" Zim snapped.

Dib's eyes bugged a tad bit at Zim's angry response, but he shrugged it off as he walked into the "Gamer's Enslaved Edge" store, in which Zim followed, a slight bit of a stomp in his step.

Dib quickly walked over to the rack of games in the back of the shop. There were games there for the handheld platform Gaz played on, and right in the front stood a package with the Game Slave III stuffed inside. 'The Game Slave III! Great, I found it, now Gaz will be happy when she gets this for her birthday!' He picked it up and walked over to the counter, placing it down for the cashier as he reached into his pocket to fish out some money. He looked over at Zim, who stood beside GIR, watching the little robot dance with a random little girl. The kid had long blonde hair and dark brown eyes, wore a yellow dress, and matched GIR in size. The two continued to dance, as Dib watched Zim's purple eyes roll.

"Here." Dib said, glancing over at the cashier as he gave him two twenty dollar bills. When he was given his change Dib shoved it in his pocket, then shifted the backpack to unzip a pocket and shove the game inside. He zipped it shut and shifted it back in place, hands remaining glued to the shoulder straps.

Dib then looked back over at Zim and smirked. "Com'on Zim, I need to buy a new coat, and then I'm done shopping." He explained.

"Alright. GIR, we're leaving." Zim said, looking down at the dog-robot.

"Okay. Bye bye!" GIR said happily to the girl as they both stopped dancing.

Her eyes got teary. "Bye bye!!" She whailed, hugging GIR, who hugged back. They pulled back, and the girl was pulled away by her mother.

"I liked her." GIR said as Zim started to pull him away.

Zim and Dib walked out of the store side by side, and they headed in the direction they were previously walking. Dib already knew the next store's location by heart, since it was a store he visited each and every time he came to the mall. "Zim?" Dib asked quietly.

"What?" Zim responded.

"Uhh...when we go into space to go conquer worlds, will we be working together?" Dib asked.

Zim gave Dib a weird look with his eyes, one of his pupils slightly bigger than the other. "Dib, are you sick or something? Of course we will be working together! I'm not going to fly into space, arrive at a new world, and have a tea party with you!" Zim exclaimed.

"No, that's not what I mean." Dib said, shaking his head. "I mean, will we be working together side by side to conquer worlds, or will we split up and work apart?" Dib asked as he walked over to another escalator that lead to the third floor. Zim and GIR followed suite.

"We'll...work together." Zim said very quietly, averting his eyes to look over away from Dib as the stairs brought them up higher into the building.

"We will?" Dib asked, turning to face Zim on the step they shared.

"Yes, we will." Zim said, grip on the side bar tightening slightly.

Dib tilted his head to the side, ever so slightly. "Why, Zim? Why now?" He asked.

Zim hesitated as he felt his only oral abilities involved inhaling and exhaling. He did not answer Dib, unable to as he thought over the question.

"Zim?" Dib asked, breaking up the Irken's thoughts as he did this.

"Huh?" Zim asked, turning to look up at Dib, then the two of them stepping off the escalator in sync, followed by GIR.

Dib sighed. "Never mind. I never said a thing." He responded, then walked right through the doors of a store off to their right.

Zim glanced up at the sign, seeing that the store was called "Dark Horizons". He then walked inside, and looked around the store, seeing that its size was quote massive with a perfect selection of clothing that covered anything you'd ever need to wear. He scanned the entire area before heading towards the back of the store to find where Dib had dissappeared to.

As Zim arrived at the back, he could hear Dib talking to himself. He stopped when Dib was in his line of sight, and watched as Dib held up one of the black coats to himself. "This one isn't long enough, I want a damn trench coat." He muttered, placing the coat's hanger back up with the others.

Zim smirked as his eyes traveled elswhere. He walked away, Dib not even remembering that Zim was present as he continued his little quest for a coat.

He flipped through the coat hanging on the rack. 'Too big!' He pushed it aside. 'Too loose.' He pushed that aside. 'Too tight and too small.' He pushed that one aside. 'Too...funky!!' His mind screamed as he pushed aside a weirdly cut and designed coat.

With a sigh, he walked away from the coat rack. "I'm too picky about this!" Dib whined.

Zim then emerged from the shadows of the darkly lit shop. A coat was draped over his arm neatly as he approached Dib. "Try this one." He said simply as he held the coat out for Dib.

"Okay..." Dib said as he took it from Zim. He slipped his arms through the sleeves, and straightened it, then looked over at a tall mirror set into the wall.

The coat was solid black in color, it was long reaching the top of Dib's feet themselves, it fit him perfectly, felt comfortable, and it had a single silver zipper running through it.

"Woah..." Dib said in awe, and it was about the only thing he could say in response to his own appearance. "Nice choice, Zim. Thanks." He said to the Irken.

"Your welcome." Zim murmured.

Dib turned to look at the Irken, seeing him staring over at GIR, distracted. 'Weird...' Dib thought, then started to casually walk past Zim, and over to the counter on the far left side of the store. He slipped the trench coat off as he walked, and placed it on the counter as he arrived at it. Zim approached Dib, staring and observing as he handed the money to the cashier. When Dib recieved his change, he shoved it in his pocket quickly, then walked outside of the store.

Zim felt slightly confused by the action, but tugged GIR out of the store. He came forth into the brighter-lit mall, and spotted Dib standing at the third floor's balcony railing. He slowly approached Dib, stepping up beside him, and leaning forward against the rail, in the same manner Dib was.

"What do you want to do now?" Zim asked in a soft tone. "We have plenty of time remaining before the mall closes, and you should try to enjoy your last few days here before we leave for space." Zim added, his eyes locked on Dib's.

"Well, we could just talk for a while, maybe eat at the food court." Dib suggested.

"Now that sounds like a good idea. Do they serve anything I could eat?" Zim asked.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure you could eat some of the food there." Dib said.

Zim's eyes lowered to the coat Dib held in his hands. "Why don't you wear it?" Zim asked, annoyed at just seeing it limp in Dib's grasp.

Dib looked down at the coat, then quickly slipped it on. He smirked at Zim. "So, how does it look? I'm really pig smelly now, aren't I?" He asked, his grin growing wider as he looked out over the railing once again.

"It suites you." Zim said.

Dib jumped slightly at the comment. He turned his head to look at Zim, who was watching the humans to the left of them. He remained silent, as he let a small smile appear on his face. 'I think he's actually starting to be a little...nice. I think that sooner or later, we will actually become friends.' He thought.

"Come, human filth, and we shall consume Earth nutrients." Zim said, pulling GIR towards the escalator leading to the second floor.

"Ooh, I like food!" GIR yelled. "I want some chicken!!!" He screamed, then started making some odd sounds as he quickened his pace to bring him in front of Zim.

"Come, worm baby!!" Zim called from over his shoulder.

Dib chuckled a little as his hands slipped into the trench coat's pockets. He started walking after Zim, stepping down the automatically moving staircase until he stood behind Zim. 'I think our journey through space will be a whole lot of fun.'

"Hey mister, could I pet your doggie?" A smaller girl than GIR asked in her high, squeaky voice. She had long curly red hair and big, blue eyes,

"NOO!!! Get your own Earth beast!" Zim screamed.

She suddenly started screaming, then took off down the escalator.

Dib sighed as he rubbed his left temple with two fingers. 'Insane. This journey will be insane.' He thought hopelessly.

* * *

Alright, I deeply apologize for the long wait! I started to feel sick around Valentines Day, and through the ENTIRE February Vacation, I was sick. Well, I've been doing all that I can to get this done, and it was finally edited today, so it's up! I know this chapter is long, and the ending is a bit sucky, but I promise the next chapter will be exciting!


	14. Awaken

The Irken And The Earthing's War And Love  
Chapter 14  
~Awaken~  
_[ZaDr]_

A black silhouette collapsed on top of Dib's bed, laying across the blue Swollen Eyeball imprinted bed covers. It was Dib, who was extremely exhausted from the mall. He hadn't bothered to change, and he barely managed to take the backpack off his back and put it down on the rug below. He tilted his head to the side so he could breathe. "If I ever see another glass of milk again, I think I'll be sick..." He grumbled to the dark.

His eyes closed as he drifted off to sleep, unaware of the shadow looming over his face as it was cast from the window. Standing outside was Tak, who glared down at Dib's sleeping form. "MiMi." Was the only word she needed to say.

From underneath Dib's bed moved a swift, black figure. It quickly manuvered to the rug, on the backpack, then it landed on Dib's bed, carefully. He did not stir as the SIR unit, in her cat form, opened her head. Out of it came forth a rush of white, and it cover Dib, like a spider web. Dib was now caught in a net as the SIR unit closed her head.

MiMi jumped over Dib's legs and landed right in front of the window, then switched to normal form. She pulled open the window and stepped aside as Tak jumped up and sat in the window's sill, keeping her legs away from Dib as her knees folded close to her. "Dib, you are coming with me." She stated.

~The Next Morning, Zim's Base~

"Wheeeeee!!!!!!" GIR's voice rang throughout the house.

Zim rushed into the room. "GIR!!! What the hell are you doing?!" He snapped, antennas twitching with aggrivation.

"I'm makin' me some tacos!!!" GIR screamed, then laughed manaically from his position in front of the making stuff machine.

Zim scanned the room in horror as he saw that multiple mountains of tacos filled it. He then cast a dark glare at GIR. "GIR!!! What have you DONE?!!"

A single taco floated within the purple beam of the machine. "TACO!! He he! I'm gonna eat you!!" GIR reached his hand into the light and gripped the tastey taco. He tossed it into his mouth, and happily chewed and swallowed it.

Zim growled, his antennas twitching even more. "Why do you have to eat SO MUCH EARTH FILTH??!!!" Zim screamed the question at the SIR, who merely walked over to one of the piles, pulled a taco out from it, and popped it in his mouth.

Zim sighed, and shaking his head, he walked out of the room.

~Irk, World Control Center, Captive Cell Sector / 25 Minutes Later~

Dib's eyes cracked open, and as they darted around the area his head filled with confusion. He was in a white room with bars forming one of the walls, and the only real object in the room was a solid slate built into the wall, which looked like it would serve as a bed.

His head lifted up higher from his seat on the floor as he looked beyond the bars. There was a white hallway, and across from his own room, was another room like his own. He saw something shifting around in the back of it, but he could not make it out in the room's darkness. It sent a shiver up his spine, whatever it was.

With a sigh, Dib slowly rose from the floor. He looked around the room again, then approached the bars slowly. His hands wrapped around two of the metal cylinders as he peeked out into the hallway. "Where am I...and why?" He asked aloud, seeing only white in both directions that he looked.

As he stood there in wonder, he realised something. The atmosphere of this area reminded him of the Massive. 'The air on the Massive was really easy for me to breathe, even easier than the air on Earth. It's cleaner, lighter, better. This area has the same feel.' He thought, never really taking in the thought before.

"Dib Membrane." A voice promptly called to him from the right end of the hallway. He jerked his head in that direction, to spot a cloaked being apporach his apparent cage.

"Wh...who are you?" His voice asked meekly as the being stood a few feet from the bars, head down and hidden in the dark folds of the cloak's hood.

"You should know." The voice now spoke softly, the accent obvious, but Dib's brain just wasn't clicking.

"I should?" He genuinely asked.

The being sighed and stepped close to the bars. This creature used a gloved hand to pull the door open. "Come with me." The voice stated.

"A-alright." Dib said, not knowing what else to do in this strange situation.

~Skool~

Zim sat in his seat, head and elbow propped in sync, staring at the board with the most disgusted, annoyed face in the world. 'We leave tomorrow.' His mind stated.

The bell rang, and Miss Bitters started to go on and on about how Neptune was doomed to be pelted with astroids, for whatever reason. Zim didn't care as his eyes shifted quickly to Dib's empty chair.

'Where is Dib? My partner of conquest over the doomed planets in space?!' Zim's mind wondered, his antennas just begging to be free so they could twitch freely in dismay.

~Irk, World Control Center, Captive Cell Sector~

Dib walked outside of his cell, and stood in front of the cloaked being. "So, who are you, and why was I locked up in this place?" He asked, his eyes wandering past the bars of the opposite caged in area to stare at the strange, shifting silhouette within it.

"Was is not the correct term. I will not tell you why, but you will be held in this cell for at least a large portion of this day." The voice shot back.

"But why?" Dib asked, hand spreading to emphasis his question.

"Nobody will come for you. You have no methods of contacting Zim, and you will obey each and every order you receive strictly. Comply, and you will remain in perfect health." The being explained, completely disregarding Dib's question. "As for my identity, you SHOULD have figured that out by now, stupid Earthling..."

The being tossed the hood back, and Tak's unforgetful face was revealed. Dib gasped, more so in confusion than surprise. "TAK?!" Dib shrieked.

"Shh!" She hushed him. "Now Dib, you must not let Zim find out anything about this encounter, alright?" She asked him, eyes stern as she stared him down. "If you tell him, I will have your rather large head mounted on the wall, got it?" She asked.

"I get it...but my head is not big." Dib muttered, pouting as a child would when denied a sugar-filled treat.

"Now come, human. The most important one of Irk awaits us." She said, signalling with her hand for Dib to follow her.

"Huh?" Dib asked, but then followed Tak, without another question.

~Skool~

Zim's eyes were glued to the doorway. 'Where is Dib?! Why is he not here? He should be!' His hyper mind snapped. His purple hues then dropped to the desk. 'Wait...why do I care so much whether he's here or not?! If he can't show up, then why should I even wait for him?!! Oh, well I'm under the orders of my Tallest. But still! Why is he missing? Why do I CARE?!'

"ARRGHH!!!" Zim's voice cut into the Neptune is doomed lecture as he tossed his head back and gripped his head with intense frustration.

Keef smirked at Zim, eyes shimmering brightly as his fingers laced. His eyes darted from Zim, to Dib's desk, back to Zim. His smirk grew.

~Irk, World Control Center, Captive Cell Sector / 2 Minutes Later~

Tak lead Dib to a wider area than the hallway, where two elevators were located on their left, and sets of really long staircases were on their right. Tak approached the first elevator on their left casually, and she stared as the door opened automatically.

Inside of this elevator, there was a sign hung up that said "OUT OF ORDER". Her shoulders dropped slghtly in annoyance. "Stupid maintenance, they never stop munching to actually fix ELEVATORS! Oh no, it's all about these bloody virtual gaming systems, the shooter simulators, the swordplay simulators, but not the elevators." Tak angrilly muttered, then looked over at Dib, who's wide eyes stared at her deeply. She cleared her throat quickly, then walked over to the other elevator.

The door opened, and she saw the back of the elevator shaft. She leaned over, spotting the elevator had fallen down the shaft, and was busted up in pieces at the bottom. "Ugh.." She grumbled as she leaned back, just in time for the door to start opening and shutting repetatively.

The sound of it shifting positions non stop started to annoy her, and she swiftly turned around to face the staircase. We climb the stairs, in this case." She stated, then started to close in on the stairs.

With a nod, Dib followed behind her. He was happy nothing had been taken from him, especially his glasses and trench coat, as his hands slipped into the warm pockets of it.

~Skool~

Zim's claws were moving rigidly against the metal side of the desk, his patience already broken. 'I'm worried...did something happen to that stupid half-Dib? I don't really see why I care, but I do! Damn that stupid little smeet with his stupid dorky glasses, his stupid pointy hair - stupid giant head, Dib, HEAD!' Zim's mind mushed the thoughts as his clawing became more akward. The only reason nobody noticed, which was also the reason why the desk wasn't actually being scratched, was because of Zim's gloved covering his hands.

~Irk, World Control Center, Spiral Staircase / 10 Minutes Later~

"DAMN!!! Do these stairs ever STOP?!!" Dib yelled at Tak, it was actually ment to sound nicer than it did, but regardless of hopw it sounded, Tak's answer would have remained the same,

"How the hell should I know?! You'd have to asked Irwinie and Voxas, the ones who designed this funky place!"

"Who on Earth are they?! Hey, that reminds me, what planet ARE we on?!!" Dib asked.

"We're on Irk! This is the World Control Center. As for Irwinie and Voxas...you really don't want to know."

~Irk, Global Invention Center, Awe and Making Some Stuff Room / 3 Monthes Ago~

_"I call it, the Hyper Shooter Of Instant DOOM!!!" A young, loud, proud Irken voice boasted as he pulled a blanket covering a large, mechanical weapon off of it. "Voxas and I slaved for an entire Irken year together to create this wonderful invention. It will serve us in our quest for Intergalactic Conquest!" The older Irken accent was quite obvious in his voice as the sea of Irkens before him cheered loudly._

_"So, are there any questions?" Voxas the Vortian asked the crowd._

_"Yeeaaahh!! Why don't you show us how it kills stuff!!" One of the younger Irkens asked, sparking the whole crowd to go nuts._

_"Oh, alright!" Irwinie the Irken agreed happily._

_He flipped a switch on the low aimed gigantic gattling gun-like weapon, and it started to laser beams that flashed by in an instant. Screams and howls of pain could be heard from the audience, followed by a large wave of fearful screams, and Irwinie immediately shut down the Hyper Shooter Of Instant Doom. He stared mindlessly into the crowd, face turning more and more red as the seconds ticked by. "Oops." He muttered._

~Skool / Present Time~

"Alright, you must all pick a partner for this science project." Miss Bitters snapped.

Zim rubbed his temple as the class roared with chatter. He sighed, figuring he would have no partner, which suited him. But as he eased at the thought of not working with another wormbaby, a shadow loomed over him.

"Zim! How about WE work together?! It'll be GREAT!!!" Keef's shrill voice cut into his thoughts. His eyes bugged in horror.

~Irk, World Control Center, Spiral Staircase / 28 Minutes Later~

The heavy panting of two tired out Irkens could be heard high up the really long staircase. "How...must....FURTHER?!!" Dib shrieked, panting between words, his hand having to aid him in climbing by gripping the railing extremely tightly.

"I...think...we are actually...HERE!!!" Tak cheered, bolting up onto one of the platforms that extended away from the stairs, and lead to a doorway. She threw the door open and rushed inside, Dib following her, actually capable of running when he reached the platform, to his surprise.

The room they reached was coated in a bright orange color, making Dib really confused. "This is the area where malfuntioning SIR units are brought. There is research being conducted by highly skilled Irkens to find a way to fix malfuntioning SIRs." Tak explained as her hand shifted out to draw Dib's attention to a window on his right.

Through the window he could see an Irken cower in the back of the room as two SIRs danced at his feet, and one had a gun sprung from it's head and aimed at him. He suddenly narrowed his eyes and kicked the SIR across the room, the SIR slamming against the glass window, and slowly sliding down until it fell to the floor completely.

"...As you can see, it isn't going well..." Tak mumbled.

"I guess not." Dib answered.

The two soon reached the end of the hallway, walked through the automatic doorway there, and continued down another, longer hall.

"Ah, here we are." Tak said, suddenly turning and heading towards a door on their right, near the end of this hallway. Dib followed her though it, and they were in a spacious area, where a tall guard Irken stood before an archway. She approached him, and their gazes locked in a flare of serious souls that raged. "We must go through this area once again." She stated.

The only response this Irken gave was a nod, after the last time Tak had come through here, he had known better. Tak and Dib walked through the archway, and Tak lead him down another long, long hallway.

~Skool~

Zim's claw covered his face as Keef's voice kept babbling on. "Today, I think I'll come over your house again, Zim! Yeah, we can play video games, and eat a lot! Then, we'll go on a bike ride together! Oh, it'll be SO much FUN! Then we could go back to your house, and have a sleep over! Yeah, yeah, then we can watch movies and television ALL NIGHT LONG!!!!"

Zim's hand pressed harder against his face as he gritted his teeth.

~Irk, World Control Center, Center Sector~

Tak and Dib approached the large, what appeared as a blackened, metalic fruit, perhaps some sort of giant machine or something, hanging from the ceiling and propped against the wall. What is it?" Dib asked, curiously.

"This is the Control Brain. There are many throught the Irken Empire, but this one is the most important. It is the central Control Brain of all of them, and it controls the others." Tak explained.

"Has anyone ever told you that your society is very confusing?" Dib suddenly asked.

"Hmm...well, I guess you could say that it is. Now, what are your next orders?" Tak asked, directing the second half of her speech at the Control Brain.

"Please leave us be for a bit of time, Tak. I will give your PAK a jolt to let you know when you may come back inside." The Control Brains deep, male voice commanded.

"Yes, Control Brain." She said with a quick bow, then ran out of the room.

"Dib Membrane." The Control Brain spoke slowly. "I didn't figure you would be around for so long, but I guess Blue was far smarter than I originally took into consideration." The voice said.

"Huh?" Dib asked, not really knowing what was going on.

~Skool~

"Then we can make a post card and sent it to my aunt so she can see us together! Then we could cook scrambled eggs together! Then we could..."

Zim now had his gloved hand in the clutch of his mouth as he tried so desperately to not pull out his transforming Irken Weapon and slice this annoying human into pieces. 'That does remind me, I need to remember the name for that damn weapon....what was it? My PAK...why can't you just remember? Damn it...' His distressed thoughts were sliced apart as Keef rambled on about what other GREAT things they could do together.

~Irk, World Control Center, Center Sector~

"The current Tallests, Blue, and I were the only ones to know about your Irken blood for a very long time. But, long ago, you also knew." The Control Brain explained.

"I knew?" Dib asked, his voice very confused.

"Yes. You knew everything, Dib. But now...your memories..."

Suddenly, one of the wires dangling off of the Control Brain reached out to Dib, causing the boy to cower a little in fear. "Ahyaaa!!!" The end of this wire hand a claw-like appendage that gripped Dib's shoulder.

"Yes...your memories are a complete and total mess." The Control Brain stated, grip on Dib's shoulder tightening.

"Um..." Dib took a single step back, barely able to do that with the tight grip the Control Brain had on his shoulder. "Why are you-"

"Dib, there's something you need to see. Something...that nobody knows." The Control Brain started to say.

Dib tilted his head to the side in confusion. "Uh...okaay, what is it?" He asked the giant Irken abomination before him.

Dib watched as the Control Brain's sides parted, and the front started to open up. His eyes grew wider and wider as the front slowly lowered downwards, like the way a dish washer door would open.

Dib's mouth hung open as he gawked at what the inside of this...thing looked like. There was a strange, pink, foamy substance packed inside. Dib then watched as..something sitting inside of it started to move around. He watched as a strange entity slowly shifted around. Then suddenly, this being lunged forth from the Control Brain.

Feet planted on the ground in front of him. The red and black, horrizontally stripped dress covered her ankles. Beautiful, sparkling blue eyes were locked on his own. Curly, black, perfectly formed antennas twitched.

She was the tallest Irken Dib had ever seen. He strained to look up at her, and his mind figured she must have at least been taller than the current "tallest" by at least a foot. She was beautiful, yet intimidating, like a rose with thorns covering it's stem.

This Irken then dropped down to her knees, attempting to ease Dib's mind by not towering over him. Dib felt like his lungs had collapsed on him, he could not speak, but only stare at her.

"This will remain a secret between the two of us, until the danger has passed over. I am the true Tallest, and I've always been the leader of Irk. I have had to keep this a secret for so very long, Dib. I just....I wanted to see someone. I needed to see you, anyway." Her voice was light and soft, not even the slightest bit of a rough edge was detectable in this voice.

Dib had to blink hard twice before he could answer. "I will keep this a secret." Dib responded in such a soft voice, it was as though he thought that having even the slightest bit of a louder voice would somehow shatter her. "So...what did you need to tell me?" Dib asked.

"Well, first...I haven't exactly introduced myself. I am...the Tallest on Irk. I have no name, no Irken knows of my existance, and this here-" She gestured towards the large, open Control Brain behind her. "This is my PAK."

Dib jumped in the air a couple of inches out of surprise. "P-PAK?! This is your PAK?!! But that means you-"

"Cannot live outside of it for ten minutes? Correct." She paused, eyeing Dib the way a mother would eye her child when wondering whether she should deliver some bad news to him or not. "But it wasn't always this way. Before the PAKs were created, I could freely walk Irk, along with my Irkens. Since the war with the Akrains began, life has escalated to negative, controlled lifestyles. I believe that this is the way we must be, the way we are meant to live, and how we shall always live."

"But why do you have to conquer worlds? Is it really necessary to take over all the worlds you can?" Dib asked, a small bead of sweat sliding down his temple, over his cheek, and falling to the metalic floor below his feet. This was a question he had wanted to ask the Irkens for a really, really long time.

She nodded. "Not every planet is taken by force. In fact, most are peacefully taken under our control. But we wish for conquest, because...of a promise, which was forgotten long ago."

"Promise?" Dib asked, head tilting slightly.

"Yes, between myself and a generation of Irkens from a long, long time from the past. We created a promise that we would hold everything in the entire universe under our control, and take care of all who were with us. We wanted to spread security and comfort around the entire universe. At this time, we are quite close, as most of the universe has been taken by us. We will soon have that dream from that amazing time. It was when Irkens first learned about other planets inhabiting life that we formed that oath, and I have kept it with me ever since." The Tallest explained.

Dib's pupils had dialated, his irises shimmering softly in the glow from the surrounding walls that were decorated with extremely advanced technology. "Wow..." He whispered. "I never thought that it was a promise like that....it means a lot to you, doesn't it?" He asked.

"Yes, it does." The Tallest said with a small nod. "Though none of the other Irkens know, being the master over the Irken race, I have been soley keeping the promise alive. I want my Irkens to have the whole universe, and all the snacks that they desire."

"What is with the snack thing, anyways?" Dib asked as an eyebrow of his quirked.

"I don't really know, actually. I guess it's just their tastebuds or something." The Tallest said, shrugging her shoulders slightly.

Dib's eyes shifted from the huge Irken before him to the gigantic PAK, known as the Control Brain. "What is with that thing, anyways?" He asked, curious as to why it was so large, and why she was inside of it.

"Well....it is a part of me, and has been since it's creation. It was the first PAK ever created. There are a few others like it on Irk, but this is the one that controls all of Irk, along with myself. Irken technology has never been able to detect an Irken inside of it." She started, moving away from Dib and closer to where the giant PAK hovered in the air. "I remember the time when I could live without one, but when the war came, we required PAKs to survive the devastation that struck our homeworld. It was warped to have air we could not breathe well in, and it only worsened. That is the kind of technology they possessed at that time."

"What?! They could change the air?!! They could easily kill us all!!" Dib screamed.

"Woah, easy." The Tallest's hands shot up, palms face down as she signaled that she wanted him to calm down. "That was a very long tiome ago, they do not have that power, anymore. Their ancient technology has been destroyed, thanks to us, and the only one who knew anything was Akria." She said.

"Akria's dead, we killed her when the armada came for me." Dib mentioned.

The Tallest nodded. "Yes, I know. But...I must admit, the Control Brain has picked up on Akria's signals on Earth, actually...." She explained slowly.

"Wh-what?" Dib asked, confused.

"It's true." The deep, male voice said, coming from the Control Brain. Dib jumped out of his skin as the Brain spoke. "I've been picking uip on faint traces of her existance, on your planet." It said.

Dib's finger shot out towards the Control Brain. "I-I-I-I-I-IT TALKS?!!" He stuttered.

"Yes. The Control Brain, the PAKs....they are alive." The Tallest said.

"Wha-wha-wha-WHAT?!!" He hopped a could of inches in the air as he piped the word, after stuttering over it.

"PAKs were the first artificial life forms created by our people. It took quite a few geniuses to create them. When they were made, this was the only one that could speak verbally. The others...they speak to the Irken they are attached to mentally. They also can only speak to the Irken they are attached to." The Tallest explained.

"...Wow..." Dib said, breathlessly. "Your empire is amazing!" He said, a smile growing on his face.

"Thank you." The Tallest responded.

"So anyway...that signal, does it mean that Akria...is alive?" Dib asked slowly, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

"Well, it means that there's a high chance that she's alive. Either alive, or some part of her is." The Tallest said, her expression draining away.

"This is not good..." Dib said, then let go of a small sigh.

"I know....but I have faith in all of my Irkens, including you, Dib." The Tallest said.

Dib then locked serious, orange eyes with concerned, blue ones. "Why me?" He asked.

"........." The Tallest seemed to think over her next words, this washing cold, nervous feeling over Dib as his gaze never left her own.

"Why me?" He repeated, voice growing louder.

Her antennas twitched visibly before her mouth opened to speak. "I chose you, because you were the only human who could have possibly had the knowledge, or resistance, to be one of us." She spoke the words softly, above a whisper.

"What do you mean by resistance?" Dib asked, shifting slightly so his back was a bit more straight.

Her eyes widened slightly, making Dib narrow one eye in suspicion. "You...you can take the pain better than anyone else." She whispered, which in turned made him narrow the other eye in a swirl of confusion with slight sadness. "The pain of others of your kind disbelieving you. The emptiness of something missing from your life as you were apart from the Irken Empire. The loneliness you were doomed to live with. You are the only human would could live this harsh life without the feelings of rejection taking over your intelligence. Taking over your love for the paranormal." The expectant look in Dib's eyes made her spit out the shorter, rather blunt version of the truth. "You were the perfect life form for the torment you would have to endure as a half human and half Irken intellectual being in our galactic conquest mission." Her eyes held a huge amount of pity and sorrow as she eyed Dib nervously, not too sure of how the human would react.

Dib slowly closed his eyes, making the Tallest tilt her head to the side slightly. She watched as his fists started to shake, and the shaking soon spreading through his whole body. Dib took slow, cautious steps backward, distancing himself from her. He suddenly exploded inside, throwing his hands up in the air high above his head. "WHAT THE HELL IS THAT??!!! I'VE HAD TO LIVE AS A FREAK WITH NOTHING BUT PAIN BECAUSE I HAPPEN TO BE A GOOD ENOUGH SPECIMEN FOR SOME CREEPY ALIEN RACE??!!!! YOU ALL - uhn!!"

His angry speech was cut short as the Control Brain's claw tightened on Dib's shoulder, painfully. He looked down at the metallic pain-inducer, then up at the Control Brain with fear taking over the anger in his flavorful eyes. The Tallest looked back at the Brain, and spoke to it. "Stop hurting our Irken!" She snapped, arm motions matching her words to strengthen them.

"Yes ma-am." The Control Brain responded, then lightened the grip to it's previous state. The Tallest turned back to Dib, and gave him a weak, yet encouraging smile.

"I know you have gone through much." She took slow, small steps forward, coming closer to Dib, who stood a few good feet from her. "You have been hurt. Emotionally. Physically. Mentally." Her antennas perked slightly, and her steps never faultered. "You've been put down, laughed at, and shunned by society." Her breathing seemed to deepen slightly. "Your worried about your sister. Confused about all of the aliens. Scared of what the Irkens may do to you." She firmly placed her feet on the floor in frnot of him. "Yet you are still alive. You are still safe, in good health, and most importantly, you are SANE. You have your father and your sister in your life, and no matter how insane they think you are, they still love you."

His eyes shimmered as he looked up at her. "You....you're right..." He said, eyes as wide as he felt they could possibly be.

She smiled a warm, grand smile, giving Dib a quick flash of his mother. "Now, you have the Irken Empire." Her smile twisted from warm to sly. "Most importantly, you have Zim as an ally."

"What?" Dib squeaked with confusion as his eyes searched hers for answers.

"Zim could understand you better than anyone else. You may not realise it...but he feels so much of what you do now."

"He...has?" Dib asked slowly.

The Tallest nodded. "Listen, now that your and Zim's paths are intertwining so tightly, you should try to open up to him. Become his friend Dib, you both are vital to each other." She said.

"Vital?" Dib echoed the word with question.

"Just try it, return to Earth, and be his friend, rather than his enemy." She said.

Dib smirked slightly. "Alright....I guess I will try to be Zim's friend." He said.

She smiled, then glanced at the Control Brain before locking her vision on Dib again. "Before we part, may I request one thing from you?" She asked.

"Yes." Dib answered respectfully.

The Tallest knelt down to match him as best as she could in height, though she still towered over him even from her knees. "Could I have a hug? I have not touched anything aside from The Control Brain and this cold metal floor for many long, hard years..." Her words were so emotional, Dib could not have resisted if he had wanted to.

Words were obsoulete as Dib and the Tallest embraced. As she held him, Dib tugged on a long lost memory. 'I was lost...I ventured in the woods from dawn until late in the evening before I found my home again. I was chasing after a witch that had moved into my Skool. When I found my house, my mother was standing outside, waiting for me to come home. She hugged me just like this...' His eyes closed for a short time before the two let each other go.

"Thank you, Irken Dib." Multiple wires that hung from the Control Brain, as well as the ceiling around the gigantic PAK, suddenly came forth, and wrapped around the Tallest's waist. "Remember what I've told you." The wired lifted her off the floor, and pulled her high up, gently placing her inside the PAK. She moved around until she was sitting comfortably inside.

"Before you go..." Dib started. "Uhh...what is your name?" He asked, not even knowing that at all.

She smirked as the wire holding Dib finally released him. "I haven't a name. I am simply the Tallest of Irk."

The Control Brain closed itself slowly, easily. "No name huh? No name..." Dib smiled slightly before he started walking away. As he walked, the promised jolt to Tak's PAK was given, and Tak entered the room, gesturing for Dib to follow her. He ran after her, leaving the Control Brain, and the Tallest, to their empty solitude.

~Streets / Later That Day~

Dib ran down the street, a very full back pack accompanying him as he rushed to reach Zim's Base. It was nearing night, the sky's hues already changing between blue and purple as the sun was preparing to set.

From his trench coat's pocket he pulled his cell phone, which he quickly flipped open. "It's almost half passed four?!" He yelped. "DAMN! How rediculous!!"

As the odd colored house with metal pipes and creepy garden gnomes decorating complimenting it's already freakish appearance came within veiw, Dib came to a halt as he saw the roof open up, and the Voot Cruiser come flying forth. It landed right beside Dib, as the human gawked at it with wonder.

The top of the Voot Cruiser flew up, as a glaring, undisguised Zim sat inside, along with a screaming GIR in the back somehwere. "Get in." Zim said darkly.

Dib immediately hopped inside in back of Zim, who then used his PAK connection to shut it. He swiveled in his chair to face the human, arms crossed and eyes leering. "Why weren't you in Skool today?" He spat bitterly.

"Umm..." He nervously scratched at his neck, thinking over what Tak had told him. 'I can't tell Zim what happened...I was told not to.' Dib then stopped his nervous action and spoke up. "Oh, I had SUCH a BAD day, Zim! First I woke up late! Then I fell out of my bed! The-"

"Yes, yes, your life is horrible, blah, blah, big DEAL!!! That horrible...Earth THING wouldn't leave me alone!!" Zim snapped, cutting Dib's fake rant short as he proceeded to move around in his chair, swatting angrily at the air as he attempted to control himself.

"Earth thing?" Dib echoed.

"KEEF!!!" Zim screamed. "I hate human friendship!! I can't stand Keef and his horrible voice!! ARGH!!!!" Zim slammed his fist down on the control panel to his left once, controlling the force enough to assure that the equipment wasn't damaged. "HOW could ANYONE want friends when all they do is.....grr! All they do is ANNOY ZIM!!!! GAAHHH!!!!!! I can't STAND it!!! His voice! His obnoxious Earth-monkey voice! It haunts me. It haunts Zim!!! Haunts him!!" His ludicrios, dramatic motions matched the screaming Irken perfectly.

Dib stared blankly at Zim as he ranted. 'Does...does he hate friendship that much? I mean, Keef is REALLY annoying, but still...'

"Dib!" Zim barked, causing Dib to visibly jump. "I must know! Why? Why are humans such FIIILTH??!!! Why are they IMPOSSIBLE to deal with??!!!!!! How could you possibly DEAL with all of their annoying ways of LIFE?!" Zim asked, his voice looping through so many different tones that made Dib wonder about Zim a lot, for some reason.

'....What goes through his mind?' Dib's brain tugged at the thought with a spark of excited wonder. "Uhhh...." His mouth started to release the long-drawn sound, Zim's angry eyes totaly locked on him. "I don't know..." He paused, coughing lightly. "I guess I just got used to it." The words came out slowly, which made Zim's left eye widen, ever so slightly.

"Got used to....how could you STAAAND THEM??!!!!!" Zim screamed, his hands coming down from the air face up, claws curled slightly.

Dib flinched as he heard Zim's voice. The action made Zim completely stop his actions of anger and drop his hands. His antennas twitched before he spoke. "What's the matter, Dib?" Zim asked, voice now completely calm.

Dib blinked at the very odd mood swing, but shook it off mentally. "Uhh..." Dib shook his head. "No-"

"Don't feed me that. I can tell that something is on your mind, so what is it?" Zim asked, leaning back in his chair. He softly rocked it forward and back as he awaited Dib's response.

"Well...I know you're always angry at the humans, and, well, I'm half human...and...." He rubbed the back of his head nervously as he tried to think of what to say to the Irken, who's eyes stared at him intensely. "Umm....how can we work together if we aren't on good terms? How can we be..." He could not say the word he wanted to, only his mind could finish the question he has wanted to ask for so long now.

Zim stared quietly at Dib for a few more seconds, before his antennas twitched. "No Dib, I don't have a problem with you. In fact, I wasn't even thinking about you when I was ranting." Zim explained.

"You..weren't?" Dib asked, like a shy child would as a bully for his hat back.

"No." Zim voiced somewhat gruffly, then licked his lips so quickly Dib blinked in amazement. Zim continued in a much cleaner voice. "I don't even include you with those other humans. I view you more as an Irken than anything, Dib."

"...Really?" Dib asked, observing as Zim slowed his rocking chair to a stop.

"Yeah. Your smarter than those fuzzy, creepy things. You should have figured that by now, Dib." Zim said, smirking slightly at the human. He then spun around in his chair to face the front. His quick claws started to click the buttons and flip the switches, and Dib felt the Voot Cruiser starting to rise. "I suggest sitting down, Dib-breath." Zim said, though Dib aknowledged it as an order.

Dib walked over to the chair beside Zim's, listening to GIR's frantic screaming. Dib sat down and buckled himself in, then turned his seat to face Zim, who started to fly the ship across the sky. They rode for a while in a peaceful silence, Dib observing Zim as he steered the ship. He was fascinated by Zim's knowledge of how to run the ship. Though Zim ran around screaming at the top of his half the time, Dib was starting to notice how...intellectual the Irken actually was. 'I never took time to notice it. He's a bit...stubborn, but he's actually pretty smart. Actually, really smart.'

"Zim?" Dib asked, suddenly.

"What is it?" Zim asked, then flicked a switch quickly to decrease the engine flames a bit.

"I...I have to ask you something." He said quietly, then glanced over at GIR, finding that the little robot had fallen asleep watching the Angry Monkey Show. His eyes turned back to Zim.

"Yes?" Zim asked, turning the steering wheel. "You do realise I'm heading for the hospital, right?" He asked, having already figured Dib wanted to go there.

"You are?" Dib asked, distracted for just a second. "Thanks. But I have something else to ask." He said.

"If you need to, we'll drop by your house before leaving this....fffillthy planet." Zim mentioned, spitting the last words out bitterly.

Dib nodded, placing his fisted hand in the palm of the other lightly. "Right, thanks. But I have another question, Zim." He said. "It's not about going anywhere, either."

"Oh? Well, what is it?" Zim asked.

Dib took in a deep breath, and let it out slowly. "I...I was wondering....Zim..." He felt his back stiffening.

Zim clicked a button, then slowly pulled back from the steering wheel. He turned his chair to face Dib, his features serious as his claws intertwined across his stomach. "Spit it out, Dib." He said simply, eyes a dark shade in the lighting of the sun outside their ship and the ship's inner lighting itself.

"...." Dib inhaled sharply. "Can we be friends?" He asked in one fast breath.

Zim lightened his appearance to one that was more so...intrigued. There was a hint of confusion in his eyes, the kind that was curious. He stayed quiet, eyeing Dib for an extended two minutes. "...Yes Dib, we can be...friends." He said quietly, then quickly turned back towards the fronty of the ship, grabbing the steering wheel.

Dib jumped as his pupils dialated at the response. "Really?!" Dib asked out of surprise.

"Ye-...yeah." Zim said, eyes locked on the multi-colored sky.

The two stayed silent as Dib turned to face the front as well. Glancing back at GIR, Dib saw the little robot was still sleeping, sprawled out more than he previously was, across the seats. He smirked as the ship suddenly shifted gears and started lowering down to the ground. Dib turned back to the front of the ship, and watched as they landed. "We're at the hospital. Let's go straight to your sister's room so we can leave faster." Zim ordered.

"Alright." Dib said. Zim clicked a button to lock up the Voot Cruiser's controls, knowing that only a PAK or clicking the button again would unlock it. 'I have to get this ship upgraded...I haven't ever upgraded this thing, and those slime bags on Foodcourtia never bothered.' He thought bitterly. Using his PAK, he opened the top of the ship.

The duo unclicked their seat belts, Dib picked up his backpack, the Voot Cruiser dropped claws from the ceiling and put on Zim's disguise quickly. and they climbed out of the ship. Zim used his PAK to close the ship, and then he and Dib entered the hospital. Zim had parked his Voot Cruiser in a vacant area of the parking lot, so he figured it should be fine there, considering how unintelligent the people of the planet are. As the two headed for the elevators, Dib spoke up.

"Is it really okay to leave your robot dog in the Voot Cruiser alone, Zim?" Dib asked.

"Yes, I locked up the controls, so now, he cannot do anything to the ship...as long as he doesn't touch the button, that is." Zim explained.

"Well that's comforting." Dib sarcastically said as the two arrived at the elevators. Dib walked over to the wall and clicked the button. Onbe of the doors opened and the two started to walk towards it.

"So what do you need to get from your home, Dib-beast?" Zim asked as he stepped inside.

"I just need to fetch a couple of my paranormal investigation devices." Dib said. "It will take only a minute." He added quickly as he approached the button panel on the wall.

"Good, I don't want to sit around here forever doing nothing. I want to go into space! I'm so bored here..." Zim said as he lightly leaned against the fat, metalic bar that protruded from the wall.

Dib's finger pressed one of the buttons. "That's the way Earth is." Dib said as the door shut. "It's boring and full of idiots." After that statement, the elevator started to rise.

That was when Dib's eyes widened in relisation. 'This...this is the elevator I was attacked in!' His mind exclaimed.

Dib turned to face Zim, who was still leaning against the bar, looking over the wall right beside him. 'So, Zim's my friend now..huh? I never thought this would happen...' Dib walked over to Zim, and stopped in front of the Irken.

Zim looked up at him, shifting slightly against the cold bar. "What is it?" Zim asked, his voice low.

Dib's eyes closed. "When we go to see my sister, I need you to do something for me..."

~Flashback~

_"Wait, you went to the hospital to see Gaz?" Dib asked Tak as he lightly stroked MiMi, who sat in his lap._

_"Yes, I was under orders to. When I saw her, she didn't appear to be in good health at all." Tak said, straight up._

_"She didn't?" Dib asked, his hand stopping on top of MiMi's head._

_"No, she wasn't being cared for properly, and her heart rate was above average for a human. I think you should see her when I bring you back to Earth." Tak said sternly, purple eyes fierce._

_"I will." Dib's eyes locked on to the vacuum of space through Tak's ship as they soared on the path back to Earth._

_"Good." Tak said, turning the wheel a bit before glancing at MiMi, who was lax in Dib's lap._

~End Flashback~

"What is it, Dib-Smell?" Zim asked.

"Zim..." Dib took a deep breath, and let it out slowly. His eyes snapped open, the burnt orange mixed slightly with a pretty shade of crimson. "Alright! I know this sounds bad, but I need you to climb into the-"

The elevator came to a stop, sending a shiver down Dib's spine as he first thought something was in the shaft attacking again, his only console being that the door opened right after. Zim stared at him oddly, before smirking. "Come, Irken." Zim said, then started marching out of the elevator.

Dib followed Zim, his trench coat tailing him spaciously as Zim's shirt moved perfectly with his own body. The two of them soon reached Gaz's room, and Zim opened the door. He held it open for Dib, making the human smile a bit at the action as he quickly made his way to Gaz's side. Zim released the door then walked to Dib's side, where the two of them stared down at Gaz.

"Hey Gaz!" Dib said, putting half-hearted enthusiasum into his words. "I brought you a gift for your birthday." He added.

Dib sat down on the hospital bed beside Gaz, pulling his backpack off and placing it on his lap. He unzipped the larger pouch and started feeling around inside for present. Dib glanced up at Zim for a split second, seeing him just standing there. "Zim, sit down beside me." He said, nodding to the space on the bed that was a bit further from Gaz.

Zim sat down in the directed location. Dib found and pulled the gift out of the bag, and zipped it up. He placed his backpack on the floor, shifted to face Gaz native style, and placed the wrapped up gift on the nightstand, beside her handheld gaming system which was still sitting there. He stared at his sister, seeing how pale she was, and hearing that her heartbeat was beating faster than it should. Zim stared at Gaz as well, one of his legs folded over the side of the bed, as his other was folded up against him. The two quietly sat there for minutes straight.

Dib was the one who broke the silence. "...So...we're friends now."

"Yeah." Zim replied simply, rubbing his left shoulder a little with his right claw.

"What..do Irkens do as friends?" Dib asked, his gaze shifting away from Gaz, over to her heart monitor.

"We do all sorts of things, of course!" Zim exclaimed. "A lot of Irkens haven't normally had much time to spend together until that new buddy idea came up. But anyway, when we're together, we eat together, play games together, blow stuff up together, all sorts of things!" Zim looked down at his gloved claws. "I love being an Irken. Taking over the universe is a shit load of fun!"

Dib looked over at Zim. 'The promise...' He smiled slightly. "It sounds like fun." Dib said.

Zim looked over the details of his glove as his low voice spoke up. "You know....I never could admit this before, but I've . . . always wanted a friend."

Dib jumped a little at this. "Really?" He then switched to a quizzical gaze. "I thought you had friends, though."

"I have a couple." Zim started, then huffed. "We barely even talk anymore, and we almost never see each other anymore." He said, purple hues shimmering in the light.

"Damn..." Dib whispered as his left fingers started to fiddle with the trench coat's zipper.

Zim looked up at Dib's eyes. "You're the first Irken I've had the chance to actually make a real friendship with. I want to make sure...we become good friends." His eyes nervously shifted down to Dib's fingers, watching the half Irken fiddle with the trench coat. "Even if you are part human filth....I can accept that.......anything.......friend....."

Dib couldn't make out what Zim was saying as his soft whispering turned to muttering under his breath. His eyes widened slightly at Zim. '...He's....accepting me? Completely?'

Dib then heard the beeping of Gaz's heart rate quicken at an alarming rate. He immediately jerked his head down to Gaz, seeing her face seemingly distressed.

"GAZ!!" Dib yelled. "Your heart!"

Zim observed her carefully, eyes slited with concern of some degree. Dib watched her, listening to the heartbeat grow faster, eyes widening with horror. He suddenly unleashed a scream, Zim looking up at him with more concern before turning the gaze back to Gaz.

Then, Dib stopped screaming and looked down at her. He heard the beeping suddenly slow to a more normal pace, just barely above average. He and Zim both stared at her expectantly, eyes wide.

Gaz's eyes squeezed tightly, then opened up slowly. She shifted her eyes from Dib, to Zim, and back to Dib. The two stared at her with large eyes. She then gave a confused glare. "What?!" She asked defensively.

"G-G-Gaz?" Db asked, almost breathlessly as he stared into his little sister's burnt orange eyes.

"...What?" Gaz asked, her voice more soft as she saw the concern in his eyes, knowing something important must have actually happened this time.

"Ah....a..." Dib felt his throat close on him, unable to speak after having worried so much over Gaz. Though they may have had a different, closer bond when they were younger, this entire scenario has really opened his eyes to how important she is, his dad is, and Zim is to him.

"What do you remember last?" Zim asked in place of the Dib who was unable to speak.

"...I just remember that stupid fight I had with dad, before leaving the house..." Gaz said. She then sat up, and rubbed her eye in a sleepy manner.

"Are you sure you don't remember anything else?" Zim asked her. She nodded in reponse.

"Gaz..." Dib said, finally finding his voice again. "GAZ!!" He suddenly pulled Gaz into a hug. Gaz actually wrapped her arms around him in response, rather than snapping like she normally would have.

Zim watched as the two pulled apart, finding himself almost...wanting this display of affection for himself. Dib looked over at the nighstand, and picked up the present as well as the gaming system, before handing them to Gaz. "For your birthday, I got this Gaz." Dib said.

Gaz stared as she mindlessly gripped both present and gaming platform. "Thanks." She muttered before placing the platform in her lap. She then started to tear off the purple wrapping paper that encased the small, box-like gift.

Dib and Zim watched her fingers rip at the paper curiously. The paper came off and Gaz's eyes immediately lit up. In her hand was a box containing the Game Slave III, a game in which she hadn't even known came out. She could not supress the smile to grace her lips as she slipped the game catriage out of the box. She pulled the Game Slave II out of her handheld, and slipped the Game Slave III inside. She then held the Game Slave out to Dib, who took it and slipped it into the smallest pocket of his back pack.

As the screen lit up, Zim began to speak. "I may as well explain our situation. Dib and I-"

"Don't bother." Was the dull response from the gamer. She glanced up at the now confused rken. "Are you guys going into some stupid space mission?" She asked, tone somewhat low.

"Yes." Dib responded, then leaned forward slightly. "Will you come with us, Gaz? Dad hasn't been home lately, and I think you'll be a big help."

Gaz glanced into his eyes for a moment, then turned back to her game, which she loaded and started to play. "I guess..." Her annoyed voice said as she quickly pushed buttons on the handheld.

Dib smiled. "GREAT! Now I have my sister and friend to accompany our mission!!" He yelled, hoping off the bed. Zim mimiced his actions as Dib grabbed his bag up off the floor. "I'll get you released from here in a minute, Gaz!" He added.

'I guess his sister can come, she was a huge help during Tak's invasion, anyways.' Zim thought quickly.

Dib grabbed Zim's shoulder, who gave him an akward look, but didn't resist. Dib pulled Zim out of the room, never noticing the sly smirk that spread across Gaz's lips.

~Dib's Home~

Dib, Gaz, GIR, and Zim entered the living room via front door. Zim made his way to the couch and promptly sat down,making himself comfortable. Dib mindlessly stared at Zim, noting how sleekly the Irken could move, and finding that kind of odd.

"Can I have some food?!" GIR asked, turning to Dib.

"Uhh...yeah. Just don't eat all of the strawberry flavored Italian Ice on me, okay?" Dib asked, scratching the back of his head a little.

"I don't know what you just said..." GIR's cute little voice said, then he started walking towards the kitchen with a blank expression.

"Dib!" Zim's voice called out, receiving Dib's attention, and half of Gaz's. "Hurry up an get what you need. Your sister as well." He shifted a little, eyes locked on Dib's shoulder, the one in which he had extracted the tracking device from before. "I want to report to the Tallest immediately."

"Alright Zim." Dib cheerfully said. He and his sister then headed upstairs. Both siblings went into their rooms, leaving their doors open to speak before collecting what they would need.

"How do you feel, Gaz?" Dib asked as he placed his back pack on his bed.

"Fine." Was her monotone response as she picked up a purple back pack that matched the color of her hair.

"Good." Dib said as he walked over to his computer and sat in the rolling chair that stood before it. He turned the computer on and opened the top drawer on his right.

Gaz dumped all of the contents in her purse out into the second largest pouch of the roomy back pack. She then chucked the purse aside carelessly as her hard expression grew more serious than it already was. "Can you really trust Zim as much as you do?" She asked, tone a bit quieter than she had hoped it to be.

"Huh?" Dib asked as he pulled a head set, a spying eyeball camera, and a tiny screen out of the drawer, then put them on top of the desk.

"Com'on Dib..." Gaz started as she saved her game, knowing she would have to put it down for a bit, until they were settled on the Voot Cruiser, so she could pack faster. "You are growing attached to Zim. I'm not blind."

"Well, what's wrong if I'm friends with Zim? A lot has happened." Dib's eyes narrowed. "I get the feeling you know more than you're letting on, Gaz." He spat bitterly. Even if he was clueless some of the time, he was quite sharp at other times. He knew his sister very well, and could read a lot of her behavior in depth.

Gaz stood up and walked over to a tall book case against the wall, then started to carefully pull certain books off of the shelves, piling them on one arm that leaned against her body. "I know he's your friend...." She said quietly, voice only seeming to decrease more in volume the more she spoke. "But you need to be careful with him."

Dib's fist slammed down on the keyboard, and annoying buzz sounding from the tower until he removed his hand from the buttons. "Why Gaz?!" He yelled, standing up and letting the chair roll backwards a bit far. "Why do you always push me around, and make me feel like I can't have anything without there being something wrong with it??!"

Gaz sighed, placing the books into the biggest pouch of her pack. She then walked over to her doorway, looking up at her brother, who leered down at her from only two steps away. "I'm just telling you for your own good. Be careful around him. I'm not saying you can't be his friends, I'm saying you need to be aware of what the hell is going on with him!" She yelled.

Gaz, now angry, started to walk back into her room, but Dib caught her wrist tightly. "What do you mean?" He asked.

Gaz turned to look him in the eyes, concern evident in those orange hues. "You're the Swollen Eyeball Agent, you figure it out." With a quick, effective motion, Gaz twisted her hand free of Dib.

Dib walked back into his room, and pulled open the drawer below the previous one. He pulled out the X-ray glasses that he used when Zim was harvesting organs, acually able to muster a small chuckle at the insane memory. 'I thought he would have taken everything...' As for how they worked through that mess and got their organs back...well, it was a wet and painful job, let's just say. Dib shuddered at that memory.

"Diib." Gaz called to the half Irken and half human as she zipped up her bag.

"What?" Dib asked impatiently, pulling out a small case filled with flash drives. They had various things stored on them, with a couple of empty flash drives as well.

"...I'm sorry." Dib's head jerked up immediately, seeing his sister standing in the doorway, back facing him.

"...What..did you say..?" He asked breathlessly, not sure he heard her right. He mindlessly stuffed the case in his back, then picked up the eyeball camera and X-ray goggles.

"I...know what you're going to face...at least a little bit of it, anyways. I'm sorry...please....don't trust Invader Zim...." With those last, disturnbing words, she walked down the stairs.

"...Zim?" Dib's eyes suddenly felt wet, but he ignored the akward feeling as he shoved the rest of what he needed in his back pack, and zipped it up.

"Dib! Com'on! Let's go!!" Zim's irritated voice called from down the stairs.

"Just a minute!" Dib called, then suddenly slumped forward. He caught himself with one palm to the floor, then felt a tiny river of warm tears slide down his face. He was confused as to where the tears came from, but shook it off, ignoring them. He stood up and quickly wiped his tear streaked face dry with the sleeve of his trench coat. He pulled the pack over his shoulders and walked out of the room, closing the door before runing down stairs.

'I would check my computer, but I'll just use my laptop.' He figured as he reached the living room.

Zim was the only one standing there, waiting for him. "The others are already aboard the Voot Cruiser. Are you ready to leave for a while?" Zim asked.

"Yeah, just a minute now..." Dib said, then pulled from his coat pocket the cell phone he used during class. Zim eyed the device curiously as he watched Dib quickly text a bullshit notice to his father about his own whereabouts. Her also added that Gaz was fine, but figured that his dad would have already known about that by now anyways.

"What is that thing?" Zim asked as Dib clicked the send option.

"It's called a cell phone." Dib said, then flipped the phone shut.

He started to shove the cell phone in his pocket, when Zim's hand suddenly gripped his wrist and pulled his hand out of the pocket. "Wha?" Dib mouthed in confuion as Zim took the phone out of his hand. He flipped it open, and eyed it carefully.

"Human technology is weird." Zim concluded, then shoved the phone in Dib's pocket for him. Dib's puzzled face made Zim smirk. "Com'on already! We don't have time to lose!!"

Zim's hand gripped Dib's sternly, and he pulled the human away from the house, barely giving Dib time to lock the door and shut it before they arrived at the Voot Cruiser. 'Wow....his hand....it's really warm.....how weird...' Dib thought. Dib squeezed Zim's hand a little, making the Irken's antennas twitch in curious response. The top of the Voot Cruiser opened, and they let go.

Zim hopped inside, and then he watched Dib as he climbed inside, and slid to the floor. The top of the Voot Cruiser slammed shut, and Zim took his seat at the controls up front. "Alright, we're heading for the Massive!" Zim yelled, then started to drive the Voot Cruiser away from Earth.

'Zim....can I trust you..?' Dib's mind wondered, as he stared at his still warm hand. The hand that was previously holding the Irken's hand.

* * *

Alright, school's a pain in the ass, but the next chapter is finally up. My friend did not edit this chapter yet. I'll happily accept ideas, comments, and such, and they would be helpful, so feel free to drop your words in. Thanks.


	15. The New Irken Invader

The Irken And The Earthling's War And Love  
Chapter 15  
~The New Irken Invader~  
_[ZaDr]_

Zim's pink eyes stared at Dib as a common human noise arose from him. He had fallen asleep in the chair beside Zim, and in the chair on Zim's left was Gaz, who was quietly playing her new game still, the sound off as she didn't need it right now.

Zim stared at Dib's sleeping form. They had been traveling for hours now, Earth time. The Massive and the Armada had moved over the last few days, so now they were much further from Earth. They were currently invading a small planet a couple of hours passed planet Blorch.

Dib had his head rested on his crossed arms, and was sleeping on a button less part of the control panel. Zim had decided to let his friend sleep, seeing that he hadn't the slightest clue when Dib would have another chance to sleep once they arrived at the Massive.

Zim's left hand gripped the steering wheel, his right hand lazily resting over the arm of his chair. His claws were only inches from Dib's left side. 'It is strange...' Zim's mind started. 'I could easily hurt Dib, I could kill him if I wished it, yet....he can sleep in my presence now.'

Zim found his curiosity grew as he observed the half human, half Irken's methods of sleeping. Dib had a rather light snore, it wasn't as harsh as most human's were. His body was slumped over quite a bit, and his fingers were twitching. The finger twitch was something that Zim recognized though, since Irkens tended to have some type of twitch in their slumber.

Zim then noticed something that made him shake his head lightly. Dib's glasses were firmly on his face, and Zim knew that the Irken could easily break his glasses and damage his eyes. He couldn't doubt that idea for a second.

Zim reached for Dib 's glasses with his idle arm. He lightly gripped the glasses nose between his clawed fingers, and pulled them off his face carefully. He folded the legs and placed the glasses a few inches from Dib's head, on top of the control panel. His eyes then scanned the human's face once more, and once satisfied, Zim's attention was drawn to the void of space.

"You didn't have to bother." Gaz said, startling Zim.

"Wh-what?" Zim questioned nervously, wondering if his gesture was a bit too odd for the human's taste. Though he wasn't trying to appear human (obviously, kinda hard when you have you're Irken and have your antennas and eyes exposed XD; ), but he didn't want to exhibit strange behaviors and either confuse, freak out, or even lose the trust of the humans. His concerns with this were more focused on Dib than Gaz, but still, his PAK and brain were both haunted with fears of being dissected by humans, whether he was on Earth or not.

"My brother falls asleep with his glasses on all the time. He's just stupid like that." She spat bitterly. "He really does stupid stuff all the time." She added.

"Well, after fighting with him for so long, I figured that out years ago." Zim said, glancing over at Gaz to study her rapid button pressing before turning back to the wind shield before him.

"Half a year ago, you mean." Gaz corrected.

"More like a twentieth of a year ago." Zim countered.

"What?" Gaz asked, looking up at the Irken with confusion, even going so far as to pause her game for an answer.

"Ugh..." Zim let the sound out glumly, not wanting to explain this factor of his home planet. "Lets just say that time in my world works far differently than the time on Earth." He said, hoping Gaz would understand that he couldn't really fish up a quick explanation.

Gaz stared at him, thinking about what he said, until her brain could put together a good guess of how time on Irk worked, then just simply looked back down at her gaming platform, and unpaused it to start playing it again.

Zim turned his head towards Dib again, seeing that the human still slept. With a bored huff, he looked out across the void of space, watching the stars rush passed the ship from their distant locations.

~Tak's Ship~

"I told them "No, I won't join the military division!" yet they insist, they INSIST I have those types of skills! I mean, what the hell does it take to have your voice heard on this stupid filth ball of a planet?! I have to resort to brain wiping every last member of that rebellious group just so they would stop tracking me!" Tak explained in a rather annoyed voice.

"Mhmm..." A not so thrilled Purple stared at Tak from the two way screen that now filled the area of her ship's windshield. The space vehicle was set on auto pilot, so Tak was relieved of running the giant mechanical weapon.

"So why isn't your ship's PCCU attached any longer?" He asked, his purple eyes bugged in confusion, and what Tak assumed to be slight suspicion.

"I already told you, my Tallest, Zim destroyed it a while ago." Tak said.

He stared at Tak's eyes for quite a bit of time before answering. "Alright, thank you for your report, Tak." Though Purple didn't seem fully satisfied, he finally decided to let Tak go.

The screen's transmission cut and space could now be seen from Tak's eyes. With a stressed out sigh, Tak swiveled her chair to face MiMi, who sat in the chair staring at her with some concern in her eyes. "Master Tak?" MiMi questioned.

"I hate bullshitting my way out of things, but there's nothing else I can do, with my orders from the Control Brain." Tak scoffed.

"What must you do now, my Lady?" MiMi asked.

"I have to trace the odd signals coming from the planet Akrious. Apparently Irkens nearing the area die, and their bodies aren't turning up." Tak explained, gesturing to a small screen attached to the control panel between her and MiMi's chair.

"How do you know that these Irkens are dying?" MiMi asked.

"Their PAKs shut off and their life signs completely deplete. A short time after dying, their signals disappear completely, as though they aren't even a part of our universe, anymore. Any theories, MiMi?" Tak asked, beginning to absent-mindedly drum her fingers on the arm of her chair.

"I have a few..." MiMi murmured as her voice faded to some degree. "I will protect you at all costs though, Master!" She suddenly shouted, saluting to Tak, the only Irken she has ever followed.

Tak gave the small robot a quick nod, smiling slightly before turning back to her controls. "Alright, we'll get to the bottom of things soon, then maybe we can rest on the Massive for a while and do nothing but snack." MiMi chuckled a little as the ship started to speed faster through space.

~Zim's Voot Cruiser~

If it were possible for Zim to look more dead than he already does, one would mistake him for actually being dead. His annoyed eyes weren't capable of narrowing any further as barely any red hues remained. His head was unmoving from it's position against his hand, and the hand gripping the steering wheel was completely locked in place. The only sign that he was still alive were his antennas, which rapidly twitched out of displeasure at this boring ride. Even Gaz's eyes were drooping from boredom as she continued to play her Game Slave III. GIR pretty much died when they ran out of Irken pretzels.

"Uuugghh..." Dib's exhausted voice arose suddenly in an odd fashion, causing Zim's antennas to stand straight up out of surprise. He dropped his hand that held up his head, then turned his head towards Dib.

"Have a nice nap?" Zim asked, his voice a bit snotty to add more of an effect to his words.

Dib looked up at Zim blankly, his burnt orange eyes somewhat dull as his pupils slowly adjusted to the soft lighting of the ship's interior. "...Huh?" He asked, his voice groggy like he just woke up because, well, he did.

Zim rolled his eyes in annoyance at the human's odd behavioral patterns. "We're close to the Massive, Dib. Please try to make yourself appear less...filthy. The Tallest need no such sight as THAT." Zim scolded, his finger shooting out to point at a very small, minimal wet spot on his trench coat's sleeve.

Dib's eyes followed the accusing finger to the splotch, registering it as human saliva. "Oh..it's almost dry, just get over it..." Dib responded, then leaned back against the chair, his head tilting to the right just so he could ignore the Irken.

"Dib?" Zim questioned, and when no response came from the human, his left antenna twitched. "Dib?" He asked again.

Dib shifted a little, but continued to face away.

"Dib?"

Dib gave no response.

"Dib?"

Dib still refused to move.

"Dib?"

Zim's eyes narrowed at the unresponsive half Irken. 'Why is he ignoring me? He is ignoring Zim!'

As though he could feel the anger Zim's ruby eyes were burning with, Dib finally turned his head towards Zim. "What is it, Zim?" Dib asked, his eyes a bit wider and lighter in color as he was more awake than he previously had been.

"Why do you ignore me?!" Zim asked, his claw stressed the question with it's partial clenching motion.

Dib gawked at Zim, trying to gain a focus on what he was saying. "Because I just woke up..." He explained, rubbing his eye with his palm a little before yawning. Then, realizing his glasses were not in their proper place, Dib picked up the aid and slipped them on his face.

Zim switched from glaring eyes to those filled with confusion. "Why is waking up inducing exhaustion in you, half human?" Zim asked.

"Zim..." Dib sighed. "Humans usually wake up in a tired state, and we need to wake up after waking up." He said.

"But, that makes no sense. After you wake up, you're awake! You just want to sleep more!" Zim snapped, pouting as his free claw gripped the steering wheel.

"No, I'm waking up!" Dib shot back.

"Your lying, human!" Zim yelled, turning more to face the half human.

"No I'm not!!" Dib snapped back, turning his chair toward Zim's.

"So why aren't you awake, then?!" Zim accused.

"Oh, I'm awake now, thanks to your loud voice!" Dib barked.

"Wait, what?" Zim shook his head. "You said you needed to wake up! Do you even know what you are even saying?!!"

"I know what I'm-"

"BE QUIET!!!" Gaz suddenly snapped, ceasing the bickering. "You guys are so annoying." She spat, her eyes completely glued to the gaming device. She turned up the sound on the platform, the music and sword slashes growing loud, and filling up the ship.

Zim and Dib stared at each other blankly for a few minutes. They then started laughing at their own stupidity, Zim pointing a finger at Dib, and leaning as he did so. This was a mistake, as his leaning caused his hand to turn the ship's steering wheel.

The three cried out as the ship tipped over to the left. Since they were strapped in, Gaz, Zim, and Dib remained strapped against their seats. However, GIR was sent flying, which immediately woke him up, and arose his loud screeches of joy. The ship was almost completely on it's side before Dib's hand shot out and grabbed the wheel.

Dib pulled down on the wheel, trying to turn it towards himself to turn the ship back up, but Zim's grip on the wheel kept it in place. "Zim, let go of the steering wheel!!" Dib yelled, his death grip on his glasses with his right hand prevented him from pumping more power into pulling on the wheel.

"Damn!" Zim cursed, then released it. Dib force on the controlling device caused the ship to turn the other way, and GIR, who was squished up against the left window, now went flying back to hit the right one.

Zim immediately caught the wheel in his hand again, and tugged it his way. The force caught Dib by surprise as Zim's strength so easily pulled the wheel into a different position. The ship was now leaning Zim's way too much.

"And you're supposed to be a good pilot?!" Dib yelled.

"Shut up, inferior Dib-beast! Zim can pilot this ship perfectly!!" Zim snapped.

"That's why I'm controlling my game so well." Gaz sarcastically said, her eye twitching to accompany the beads of sweat forming on her face.

Zim jerked on the wheel, and the ship turned to the right, then turned in a crescent shaped turn before heading directly toward the large fleet of pink, red, and black colored ships that made up the Irken Armada.

GIR came crashing down on the floor of the ship on his head, spun around, then landed on his ass on the floor, his hands supporting his fall. "Whoo!" He cheered, one fist waving in the air. "I thought I was riding in a BLENDAR!!" GIR yelled, then smiled up at Gaz, who was giving him a curious, yet annoyed stare.

Dib stared in amazement once again, as Zim's Voot Cruiser finally reached the Armada, and started to weave between the shooting sky vehicles that were still attacking a rather overly large planet below his own ship. The planet below was green and pink, and odd mix, Dib figured.

Zim locked onto the Massive, and smirked as he brought the vehicle into the docking arena's doorway. He landed the ship, and immediately the top popped up. Dib then snapped his head toward Gaz, his eyes wide. "Gaz!"

She saved her game, then shut the device off. Her head turned up towards Dib. "...What?" She asked, confused.

"Uhh..." He figured that she wasn't going to be able to breathe in this atmosphere, but she seemed to be fine. "Never mind." He concluded, receiving a small shrug from his sister who proceeded to take her seat belt off and jump up. Dib followed suit by unstrapping himself and jumping off his seat.

Dib collided with Zim, and the two small Irkens fell to the floor. They rubbed their pained foreheads, Zim's antennas twitched quickly before he looked up at Dib. "What the hell was that, inferior-Dib?!!" Zim snapped.

"Hey, don't blame it all on me!" Dib yelled back. He then got up to his feet, brushed some dirt off his trench coat, then held out his hand to Zim.

Zim's glare remained plastered on his face, but he took Dib's hand anyhow, then shoved Dib when he was standing. "Hey!" Dib pipped, then shoved Zim backward, his legs hitting his chair.

Zim gritted his teeth as he pushed Dib twice as hard. The push caused Dib to fall in his chair, in an awkward half sitting, half leaning position. The two were glaring at each other...but the glares weren't filled with that old hatred they used to be filled with. That hatred was now replaced with...almost a connection. A connection the two were beginning to form, as they were starting to understand each other on a bit of a basic level.

"Here." Dib's sister held up his black backpack for him to grab, her own pack already on her back.

"Thanks." Dib said, grabbing the strap that Gaz was holding the pack by, and then standing up easily. Dib slipped the straps over his shoulders, then hopping out of the Voot Cruiser.

GIR then jumped out of the vehicle, and walked beside Dib, looking up at him. Dib gave GIR a quizzical look, only to see the robot smile and wave energetically at him. "Hiya spiky!!" He yelled.

"I've been here the whole time." Dib said, eyes glancing up as his sister hopped out of the ship.

"I know, I just figured I'd call you spiky!" GIR paused, staring oddly at Dib. "Do you want to make biscuits?!!" He suddenly asked.

"No GIR, no biscuits. PLEASE no biscuits!" Zim said, jumping out of the vehicle, before closing it via Pak system. "You've had enough biscuits for a life time, even for a SIR." Zim said, recalling how annoyed he became with GIR when he wanted biscuits while he was TRYING to protect his base from the public eyes of Moofy fans.

"B-but...biscuits!! BISKITS!!!" GIR whined loudly.

"NOO!!!" Zim screamed back.

Dib rubbed his temple with two fingers, before dropping his hand to his side and turning towards Gaz. They had gone over everything on the ride here, so Gaz knew what was going on. Dib looked at her, figuring that something didn't look right, but unable to place what.

"DIB BEAAST!!!" Zim screamed, causing Dib to hop a little before turning to look at Zim.

"W-what?!" Dib asked, defensively.

"Come with me. We need to speak with the Tallest." Zim turned his head toward Gaz. "Gaz, I want you to head to room F17, which is on the sixth floor. There's a short Irken there who told me that I could have his Irken Claw Gloves, so could you pick those up for me?" Zim asked.

Gaz gave him a hard look, her eyes dodging towards Dib quickly before refocusing on Zim. "I...guess." She responded.

"Good. The Irken I need you to address is named Squilegee. He's shorter than me and has green eyes. You should know him right away." He nodded. "Take GIR with you." He quickly added in, then grabbed Dib's sleeve and started to drag the human towards an elevator that was a good distance from his Voot Cruiser.

"Hmph..." Gaz turned towards the elevator that was directly across from the port's Cruiser Entry-way. Her back was turned on GIR, who was sitting on the ground eating a piece of chocolate that, along with many more chocolate snacks, was previously stored in his head. "Com'on, GIR." Gaz called, shoving her hands in her black hoody's pockets.

"Uhhh, okay!" GIR called cheerfully. He popped the final piece of chocolate he head in his mouth, then jumped up and ran after Gaz.

The elevator's doors shut, and it started to rise at a slow, leisurely pace. Dib's gaze was locked on Zim, who nervously rubbed his fist with his other hand. The two were silent until the floor number screen read "4".

"Dib, there's something..."

"I just wanted to..."

They grew silent, after cutting each other off by speaking in unison. Dib adjusted his glasses, as Zim inhaled harshly. 'I can't exactly tell Dib that I'm uneasy about his sister...' Zim thought, his claw that was previously rubbing his hand now tugging nervously on his glove. 'Something's not right. My antennas have never detected something this odd about a human before. Since we picked her up, something's felt wrong. Nothing was wrong with Gaz any other time I saw her...Maybe I should run some tests on her later, if I ever get the chance...'

Meanwhile, Dib's mind cycled through completely different thoughts. 'I haven't had a chance to check in on the Swollen Eyeball. I'm surprised Zim wasn't curious about who had sent that E-mail to me before, the one he read, but I guess I should just take that as a blessing. I hope that what Agent Tuna Ghost saw isn't...' His eyes scanned the number "7" on the floor number screen. 'Anyways, I need to be sure that I'm completely calm and collected. I need to be presentable for the Tallest. I can't believe this...I'm going to be an Irken Invader! This is so cool! I wonder what kind of mission I'll be sent on! I wonder if it will be an undeveloped planet, or a planet in the dark ages, or a planet with high technology, or-'

"Dib?" Zim called, standing in the doorway of the open elevator. "Come." He commanded simply, then started to walk into the 22 floor of the gigantic Massive.

Dib blankly stared after Zim's odd walk. "Uh?" The doors started to shut. "Zim!" Dib jumped through the doorway, rolling across the ground, and pulling himself up into a standing position beside Zim. Dib pouted, crossing his arms to deepen his affect. To his dismay, the young Irken Zim smirked, before marching forth in a proud manner.

"Zimm..." Dib growled before following after him, reluctantly.

Dib's anger suddenly diminished as he felt his eyes grow in amazement. He jogged a little to catch up to Zim's side, before looking around the large hall they were walking down. It was decorated in Irken technology. The metallic floor, ceiling, and walls glowed with soft pink, red, and black hues according to the metal colors. There were Irkens standing in the hall chatting or walking around, and many of them stood taller than Zim or Dib.

Zim looked at Dib's gaping face as the half Irken jerked his head this way and that, looking over the intense wiring running along the Massive's interior. Zim smiled proudly as his antennas, which were previously twitching with anxiety over his thoughts, were now lax against his skin. "Ahh, the Massive. The greatest ship to ever strode across the universe. With heavy artillery and the expansive Armada accompanying it, nothing can destroy it. NOOTHIIING!!!!!" Zim shouted, causing Dib to stumble, but regain his pace.

"Why are you so loud?!" Dib asked, his fisted hands jerking down to emphasize his annoyance.

"Because! Loud is better than quiet." Zim said, pouting.

"I know it is, but don't just randomly scream out of nowhere like that." Dib grumbled.

Zim eyed Dib oddly. 'Zim has done nothing wrong. Irkens are always loud. That is why Skoodge isn't very liked, he isn't loud! He doesn't really make himself known! Being loud is a part of Irken LIFE!!'

'Zim is so weird...' Dib thought, his eyes looking the Irken over. 'He yells at people to be quiet yet he screams all the time. He orders people around all the time and he tends to take over any situation at hand. I'd have to say he's a control freak.' Dib's eyes widened very slightly. 'He is a control freak. That's something I never realized about him...'

-

_"Dib, would you get a grip already?! Oh, nobody loves me! BIG DEAL!! I've never had parents like you, and no Irken has a sister or a brother! Do you see me crying over it?! No, so get over it, human worm baby!!"_

-

Dib stared at Zim, eyes wide, each iris shimmering. 'I never took the time...to learn about him.' He watched as Zim turned his head this way and that, looking proudly around the Massive. 'I want to, though. I want to know what goes through his mind. What he thinks about. What's gone on in his past. I want to....know Zim.'

Zim suddenly stopped walking, and his arm shot out before Dib, catching Dib's stomach and causing him to stop as well. Zim remained in this position, glaring at a taller Irken that stood before them. This Irken wore a long red coat that dragged on the ground, his claws were longer than Zim's average-length claws, and his purple eyes leered viciously at Zim.

"Invader Zim....it has been years since I've seen you." He said, smirking.

"Ohh, I'm GLAD it's been that long!" Zim snapped. Dib tilted his head enough to see Zim's face. He felt his stomach knot at the sight of how angry Zim was right now. His eyes were a deep shade, like the color of blood. His lips were tight in a frown, antennas propped in a position where they were perfectly leaned back above his head, and his entire body slumped in an offensive manner. He looked as though he was about to rabidly attack this Irken.

'...He's never been that mad before....not even at me!' Dib's mind piped.

The Irken switched his eyes to Dib, his smirk widening, but it was more of a nasty, grossed out smirk. "Is this your slave or something?" He asked.

Zim's arm moved backward slightly, forcing Dib to take a step back. "No." Zim hissed. Dib could feel Zim seething with hatred so strongly, that he took another step backward.

'Zim...is angry...'

The taller Irken laughed as his hands drew to his hips. "Oh, perhaps a friend, then?" He asked, spitting in a gross manner as he said the word friend. That was quite an insult in the Irken Empire.

"What?!" Zim asked, taking a step forward as his glare only seemed to seethe with more hatred than before. Dib took another step back.

'Why..is he so angry?'

The Irken tilted his head up, the lighting just perfect to cast a shadow over most of his face, aside from his bright colored eyes. "You're...growing soft, aren't you..." Dib's eyes switched to the Irken's hands, which one grasped the edge of his left arm's glove. "Zim..?" He asked, then slowly started to pull the glove off.

Zim was now shaking with anger as he started to mimic the action. Both took each glove off, tossing the leather arm accessories to the metallic floor soundlessly. Dib looked back and forth between the two, wondering what the two were going to do. He searched around the room, seeing many of the Irkens leave the room, and the ones still in the room huddle around the doors leading out of this hallway.

"Dib!" Dib's body jolted with the words as a claw gripped his shoulder. He then felt himself being pulled away from Zim and the other Irken. When the claw released his shoulder, Dib immediately turned to face the one who pulled him away.

"Wh...what?" He asked out of pure confusion at what the hell was going on.

Before Dib stood an Irken just slightly shorter than him in size. This Irken had curled antennas and pretty red eyes a softer shade than Zim's. "I've heard about you. You're the spiky furred alien everyone's been talking about." Dib blinked at her in confusion. "There are numerous rumors spreading about you! The one thing that's definite is the fact that you're Zim's partner, am I correct?" She asked in her innocent voice.

"Yes, I am." Dib stated simply. "Now, what..?" Dib's curled finger pointed at Zim and the other Irken that were currently the center of attention in the room.

"They're about to beat the shit out of each other." The blunt comment arose from an Irken who stepped forth from his location against the wall. With arms crossed and antennas alert, he turned to face Dib, red eyes eyes staring the half human down with a fiery passion about the situation.

Dib immediately snapped his head towards Zim, seeing the start of this battle. Zim took a swing at the taller Irken's stomach. The taller Irken jumped back, then kicked Zim's hand before he had time to pull it away. Hissing in pain, Zim rushed forward, and punched the other Irken in the stomach.

"What..?" Dib asked, as everything unfolded with lightning speed.

"Zim and Splorge go way back, kid." The red eyed, taller Irken said.

The taller Irken now dubbed Splorge, who was fighting Zim, balled his hand and brought it down, connecting it hard with Zim's shoulder. Zim fell to the floor, catching himself only inches from a total collapse, which left him in a split position. His strength was superior to that of a human, so he was able to support his weight. He swiftly swung his leg around, and caught Splorge's leg, pulling the taller, heavier Irken down with ease.

Zim jumped up and stomped his foot down on the Irken's neck, pinning him to the floor momentarily. This was rare for an Irken to accomplish, so gasps of surprise could be heard from a few of the Irkens still watching.

"And, as you can tell, Zim isn't exactly fond of Splorge." The statement caused Dib to quickly glance up at the Irken next to him. His eyes caught a hint of concern in his dusty, red eyes.

"So..." Dib turned his head back towards Zim, watching him tauntingly lower his head to view Splorge's face. "...Splorge. Remember how I used to kick your ass in training? The same will continue to happen throughout your life span. You do realize this truth, correct?" His head tilted cutely with his final word.

Dib heard a click, his eyes darting for a second to watch the informative Irken's clawed fist tighten.

His eyes darted back towards Zim, just in time to watch the Irken below Zim's foot suddenly jump high in the air. Dark red followed the Irken's motions, and when he landed on his feet before Zim, Dib's orange eyes dimmed and widened at the red liquid, which dripped from Splorge's claws.

Zim backed up a couple of steps, his growl and hiss of pain from the sudden blow mixing together to form a very odd, ferocious sound.

"Hahahaha...Zim!" Splorge rushed forward. His right hand's nails dug into Zim's cheek. A protesting groan could be heard from Zim as he punched Splorge's chest.

Splorge grunted and wound his knee into Zim's stomach, drawing a bit of a gross-  
sounding yelp out of Zim's throat. Zim then slapped Splorge across the face with his left hand, throwing him off just in time for a hard punch to his neck with his other hand. The impact of this punch was so great, Splorge went flying backwards, landing on his back just inches from hitting a couple of female Irkens.

'Woah!' Dib's mind exclaimed as he watched, unable to stop staring at Zim's form.

His power even surprised himself as Zim slowly, cautiously advanced on Splorge. He smirked just before Splorge jumped up to his feet again. He huffed, rubbing his shoulder.

"You are such an annoying little def-"

Zim's entire body tensed as he lunged at Splorge. Something inside him did not want Dib to know the truth behind his back. That truth he refused to even admit to himself.

His fist connected with Splorge's mouth, knocking a fang from his mouth as he sent him back a few steps. Zim swiftly repositioned his claw from a fist against the Irken's face, to gripping his mouth and chin tightly. Not allowing Splorge any words, Zim chose to speak to him instead.

"You had better watch what you say around everyone, especially when it's about me, got it?" Zim's grizzly whispered to the taller Irken.

"Don't tell me what to do!" Suddenly, Splorge punched Zim in the face, sending him flying backwards.

Dib moved forward, a bit away from the wall he was close to as he watched his friend hit the floor. 'Zim...com'on! I know you're stronger than that!'

Splorge ran after Zim, pulling a device that looked just like Zim's multi-laser weapon from his pocket. It formed the sword-like weapon Dib had seen Zim use before, and Splorge jumped above Zim, then fell on his foot and knee perfectly as the green black sliced into Zim's shoulder.

"Bastard!" Zim unleashed a shrill cry of pain, before pulling the weapon out of his shoulder. He pulled the weapon out of the Irken's hand, the blade slicing into his fingers before he tossed the weapon off to the side. "Don't play dirty with me!!"

Zim jumped up to his feet, only to receive a quick blow to the head from Splorge's fist, which caused him to fall to the floor again.

"HEY!! Listen to ZIIM!!!" Zim screeched, before doing something that many Irkens felt was a barbaric and insane, yet brave attack.

Zim crawled forward, then grabbed Splorge by the leg. Splorge gasped just before Zim pulled his pant leg up some. His green ankle's skin was exposed, and Zim sunk his extremely sharp teeth into the soft skin.

"AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!" Splorge screamed in pain. Irkens very barely ever bit each other, and it was disgraceful to be bitten in combat. Being bitten meant that Irken was easy to sneak up on, and most of the Irkens looked down on an Irken that could be easily snuck up on. An Irken who could loose their PAK so easily. An Irken with a death wish, in their opinions.

Splorge looked about, the Irkens in the area chanting a strange word Dib was unfamiliar with. The word must have been Irken, for what, Dib had not a clue. But the chanting grew louder, and Splorge started to shake with anger.

Dib looked over at the short, female Irken with the red eyes. She stepped closer to him, fear evident in her eyes. Dib switched his sight to the dusty red eyes of the tall Irken, who seemed nervous and a bit scared at this point in time. Dib looked back over at Zim.

The shaking Splorge suddenly lifted his foot, kicking Zim off himself. Zim barrel rolled a few feet from him, ending at the feet of the female Irken, who backed up in further fear. Splorge stormed over to Zim, and pulled the short Irken half way off the floor by his collar. "You have degraded me and degraded me, time and again!" He screamed, then punched Zim in the face with his free hand. "Not anymore!! It's YOUR turn!!!" Splorge's fist hit Zim's cheek again, and then again.

Dib felt the world around him slow, as he watched Zim in horror. Blood trickled down Zim's face, and other various areas of his body. He was bruised up, especially his face was, and cuts were scattered over his skin from being tossed about. The other Irkens in the hallway were piling out, leaving only himself, the short female, the tall male, Splorge, and Zim inside the hall.

"Grr!" Zim's claws lashed across Splorge's stomach. Splorge kicked Zim's leg, causing him to jump back with a small grunt of dismay. "You were always dirty in combat. I got in SO much trouble for kicking your ass as much as I did." Zim stated, shaking his head with an evil smile spread far across his face.

"Hmph." Splorge rushed forward. He swiped his right claw down, and Zim jumped back to avoid it. Another swing was formed with his opposite claw, and Zim gracefully side stepped it. With a loud growl, the Irken lunged in Zim's direction, his whole weight shifting to his shoulder which he had planned to ram Zim with. Zim jumped towards the empty side of the hallway, completely avoiding the charging Irken.

Though Splorge missed, he didn't stop his blind charge. More so, he couldn't stop his own charge. The female Irken, who stood right in his path, was suddenly pulled close to the wall, next to the door. It was the taller Irken who had pulled her from harm's way, and Splorge rammed into the wall.

"Go, escape now!" The taller Irken commanded, his dusty eyes locked on the small female.

"A..alright!" Quickly the female Irken slipped through the door, pausing for only a second to glance at the alien boy Dib.

Splorge pealed himself from the wall, then turned to face Zim, his outrage incapable of being dismissed by any non-violent means. The taller Irken then turned towards Dib.

"You too! This isn't safe anymore!" He yelled at Dib.

Dib turned his head to the side, his grown bangs covering his eyes. "No." He harshly breathed.

Splorge ran towards Zim, and kicked the Irken in the stomach. Zim's eye twitched from discomfort, just before he kicked the taller Irken's knee.

"But, it is not safe here!" The taller Irken responded, his hand slipping against the cold metal of the door.

Dib's head had not moved from it's position. "I know that." He said, voice quiet.

Zim ran at Splorge, but the taller Irken hit the ball of his hand against Zim's forehead, bringing the short Invader to a halt. Splorge's hands gripped Zim's shoulders roughly.

"Let go of me, you DISGUSTING bag of FLESH!!" Zim slashed wildly at Splorge's chest and stomach areas, but he kept his grip on Zim. The grip on Zim's right shoulder tightened as Splorge smiled deviously.

Then, Zim's eyes grew wide. His throat burned as he screamed at the top of his lungs in agony. The crushing force of Splorge's grip was the source of Zim's pain. Zim immediately unleashed his Spire Legs, which impaled all four of their sharp, metal tips into Splorge's back, avoiding his PAK. Splorge yelled, his grip releasing. Then, the spider legs dragged down his back, leaving large cuts, one of which began to gush Irken blood. Zim had slashed a main artery.

"Ahh!!" Splorge's shocked screech let out as he immediately shoved Zim away from himself. He then jumped back, his eyes frantically darting around the room. His eyes then locked on Zim, and he felt fear, but more so anger, pump into his large body.

Splorge charged, then punched his fist directly into Zim's face. A crack could be heard as Zim suddenly flew through the air. Dib's eyes grew as he watched his friend fall hard to the floor, only inches from his boots. He turned to the taller, dusty-eyed Irken. He saw that look in the Irken's eye that screamed fear, the will to run for his life.

"Go, now!" He yelled, waving the Irken off.

"I'm..sorry!" The taller Irken yelled. "I'll make it up to you!" Then, he quickly slipped through the door.

Splorge walked forward, his eyes locked on Zim. Zim got up, then watched Splorge, noticing how his walk was awkward, with a bit of a slump-then-sway to it. Suddenly, Splorge rushed forth, and his large body rammed into Zim's smaller frame. This sent Zim flying back, his PAK hitting Dib. Splorge then grabbed Zim's throat with one hand, and he walked forward, forcing Zim to back up further. Splorge stopped this movement when Zim was unable to move any further back.

Now, Dib's backpack was shoved up against the cold wall, Zim's PAK was digging hard into Dib's stomach and chest, and Splorge was gripping Zim's neck tightly. 'My PAK!' The thought of any sort of danger would make any Irken frantic. Zim, extremely angry that he was put in such a predicament, kicked Splorge in the stomach. Splorge stumbled backwards, but regained his footing, only to grab Zim's shoulders.

"How DARE YOU!! You almost killed me at birth, I just narrowly lived!" Splorge snapped.

"Hey, that wasn't MY fault! I wasn't created thinking I would blow the planet's power!" Zim countered.

"You did it a second time and I almost sliced a sensitive part of my PAK open as I fell down the stairs as a SMEET!!" Splorge yelled back, jerking Zim's shoulders back a bit further, only forcing Zim to become a bit more snug against Dib.

"Oh, and I suppose you'll blame me for The Irken Sniper Training Camps exploding as well?" Zim asked, antennas raising ever so slightly, as Dib noticed.

"That WAS your fault!!!" Splorge snapped, before releasing Zim's shoulders, fisting his hand, and punching Zim hard in the face. His head flew backwards, the back of it ramming into Dib's forehead.

"Ow!" Dib piped, wishing he could rub his head, but unable to thanks to his pin-locked position against the wall.

Zim growled before giving Splorge's chest a hard shove. The Irken flew backwards a few feet, as Zim approached him, his claws glimmering in the lighting of the ship's walls. Dib sighed with relief as he found he had been struggling to breathe from his previous position, then walked forward a couple steps himself. He watched, in a trance, as Zim slashed at Splorge's chest and face. Red and green mixed like Christmas colors before Zim finally kicked Splorge in the stomach again.

This time, Splorge dropped hard to his knees. "Hah! I hit your Blorgonil, did I? Your Squeedly Spooch isn't very thick now, is it? Hah ha ha ha!" Zim mocked as Splorge coughed up a couple droplets of blood, before getting up.

"You suck, Zim!!" He yelled, fish waving angrily in the air. "All I want is revenge! Damn YOU!!" He then made his way to the door, his balance obviously thrown out the door as he hit the wall a couple times, then tripped just a couple steps from the door way. Blood painted the floor of the room, not only from Splorge's body, but from Zim's as well.

Dib turned to face Zim, watching as Zim panted hard. Sweat mixed with blood as the Irken stood there, and his eyes switched from the door that Splorge escaped through, to Dib's eyes.

"Dib.." One of his legs suddenly gave out, and he began to fall down to the floor.

"Zim!" Dib rushed a couple steps over to Zim, and caught him under his arms. He pulled Zim up a bit, and Zim slid one claw on Dib's back for more support.

"Thanks, Dib." Zim said, still catching a bit more of his breath.

"It's fine. You battled pretty hard." Dib said, nodding a little.

"Hey...would you help me get to Sick Bay, Dib?" Zim asked.

"Of course!" Dib said, adding an enthusiastic nod to his words.

"...Thanks." Zim said, his eyes giving Dib genuine appreciation. Dib and Zim shifted their positions so Zim's arm rested across Dib's shoulder blades, and Dib's arm supported Zim's shoulders, his mind definitely remembering how Zim didn't want his PAK touched. The two walked to the doorway where they knew the elevator was awaiting their arrival.

~The Massive / Floor 6 / Room F17~

Sitting on one of the two comfortable beds in the room was a short Irken with big, bright green eyes. His red coat matched his height perfectly. His antenna suddenly perked just before a light tapping emanated from the opposing side of the door.

"...Come in?" His surprisingly deep voice asked.

The door swung open, and there stood Gaz and GIR. As GIR rushed in and flopped down on the floor, Gaz leisurely walked inside, shutting the door behind her. "You." She said, her finger addressing the Irken. "Is your name Squilegee?" She asked.

"Why, yes it is!" He enthusiastically said. Irkens were usually over joyed when anyone knew their name, that was just a part of them. "What do you need of me?" He asked kindly.

"I want to pick up your Irken Claw Gloves. I was sent by Zim." Gaz explained in the simplest way she could.

"Zim is here?" He asked. "Awesome!" Jumping off the bed, he walked over to what appeared to be a dresser. Pulling open the second drawer down, Gaz could see from her position that this "dresser" actually held armor and weapons. Squilegee picked up the Irken Claw Gloves, and Gaz studied them, finding that they looked like the gloves most of the Irkens wore, except that these were made of some type of material similar to leather.

"...What's so special about those gloves, anyways?" Gaz asked, her left hand resting against her hip in a curled position.

"Oh, these gloves are made from the thick skin of a Blorgonoose." Squilegee stated with a nod.

Gaz's eyes could not look any more odd than they already did. "What the hell is THAT?" She asked.

"Oh, a Blorgonoose is a species of...rattus rattus, as your planet might call them? They are giant rat beasts that were accidentally transported from planet Blorch to planet Morgonchoke about 9,000 Irken years ago. Since then, those beasts have multiplied three-fold, and they have evolved into very gentle creatures...but still quite amazingly strong." Squilegee explained, smiling.

"Why are they called Blorgonoose?" Gaz asked calmly.

"I don't know. I spend my time pushing buttons and pulling levers. I'm not the one who names these things." Squilegee said with a shrug.

"True." Gaz said. Squilegee then handed the gloves to Gaz, who took them in her left hand.

Smiling a bit wider, Squilegee pat Gaz on the back lightly. "I like you Gaz, your an interesting human. I do have to return to my post, I apologize, but I will try to see you again. I must speak with Zim anyways. Thank you." He then took a small step away from Gaz to look over her face momentarily.

Gaz nodded, and started to leave the room. She gestured from GIR to the door with her head, this being enough to get GIR to exit the room. Pocketing her right hand, her left hand that gripping the gloves caught the door frame as her steps ceased. With wide eyes, she turned her head back to Squilegee.

"...I never said my name...how do you know it?" She asked, her voice so quiet that it was eerie.

Squilegee only stood there, hands behind his back, as he smiled at Gaz. The two stood there, their positions remaining the same for minutes. Then Gaz quickly slipped away, feeling a strong fear well up in the depths of her stomach.

~Tak's Ship~

"Well, this didn't take long..." The blunt statement slid from Tak's lips so perfectly as she stared down at the deep, blue hues of Akrious below her ship.

"We were quite close to the planet just by being on planet Earth, my Master. Had we been on Irk, it would have taken days." MiMi explained.

"That is true. Alright, we will land on one of the Islands, slip below, and proceed with our investigation. Hopefully THEY won't get in our way..." Tak said, her eyes shifting over to a Voot Cruiser passing by her ship. She then started to drive her own Irken equipment towards Akrious.

"What do you mean?" MiMi asked, not understanding why she would think that her own species would somehow become a problem to her.

Tak sighed, shaking her head lightly. "If even one of them reports to the Tallest that I am on Akrious, I'm going to be put in jail for lying to them. I cannot allow that to happen to me...the Control Brain is who I serve now."

"If you are caught...just don't mention that." MiMi pitched in.

"I know..." Tak's beautiful, purple eyes slid downcast, before she looked up, more determined than ever to take on whatever awaited her and her companion in Akrious.

~The Massive / Elevator~

"Could this elevator be any slower?!" Dib yelled, frustrated that his friend was unable to get medical aid any faster than this.

"Dib, it's alright." Zim said, his voice quite soft.

"But..." Dib's head lowered to looked at Zim, who's head and body were slumped down below Dib's head level.

Dib was doing his best to keep Zim standing, but he was finding this difficult since they matched closely in height and weight, and Zim's PAK was now an obstruction.

"Dib, I'm a hell of a lot stronger than you know..." Zim said.

Zim's head was against Dib's shoulder and the side of his chest. Dib's eyes grew a bit more as he saw Zim was still sliding down. "You're practically on the floor!" Dib yelled.

Suddenly, the elevator jerked, and this caused Zim to fall completely down. Dib immediately knelt, noticing that the elevator had now stopped entirely. "What?! What happened?!!" Dib yelled.

As Dib wrapped his left hand around Zim's right shoulder, his right hand fell upon a small part of the PAK. Zim's eyes grew large as he stared up at Dib, who was too worried about getting Zim to the Sick Bay to notice he had his hand on Zim's PAK.

"Dib..." Zim grounded out. Dib's head snapped to the Irken on impulse at the sound of his angry voice. "Your hand..."

Dib stared at Zim, completely lost as to what he had been talking about. "...What?" He asked, then blinked.

Zim took a deep breath, gritting his fangs tightly. "YOUR HAND..."

Dib darted his eyes to the hand on Zim's shoulder, and finding no problem with that, he switched to see his hand was touching Zim's PAK. In a flash his hand was hovering in the air, away from Irken's most sensitive vitality. "I'm...I'm sorry, Zim..." Dib said, his voice and eyes giving a genuine apology that Zim could easily see.

For some reason, seeing Dib's eyes and hearing his apology washed a large portion of his anger away. In fact, taking the pace of the anger was now his own apologetic sympathy. "It...it's fine." He looked away from Dib, shifting to sit up on his legs. "I should not have been so angry with you. Just keep your eyes and hands off of my PAK."

Dib's face brightened a little at this. 'He apologized to me!'

"It's not your fault that you are so much more BLIND than the almighty Irken Zim you shall follow to your death!!" Zim snapped, his finger pointed at Dib, but a playful smirk covering his face.

Dib crossed his arms, sitting up on his legs as well. "You're...leading me to my death?" Dib asked, confused. Then, is confusion dissolved, reverting into a relay of Zim's playfulness. "Well, I will follow you to my death, Master." Dib said dramatically.

The two smiled at each other, then the elevator shook again. As it shook, Zim gripped Dib's hand in a tight hold. They then felt the elevator start to move again, and Dib stood up, using the hand that was already in Zim's grip to help him stand.

~Massive / Floor 22 / Bridge~

"Red, I just don't see the point in this mission!" The stern voice of Cola echoed. Behind the fat, short, green eyed Irken stood Shik and Lexi, and to his left stood Shinx. These were the Irkens who had helped Zim and Dib when they were on Akrious, and they gave them a ride to the Massive.

"Look, something weird has been going on on Akrious! We must know what!" Red snapped, his two digits pointing down firmly at the small Irken.

"But haven't Irkens been disappearing there?!" Cola yelled.

"I don't have time for this..." Red sighed, his hand retreating to rest against his face. "Auugh..please, Cola! I know it's a dangerous mission!" His hand switched to his hip. "But I can't just let Irkens continue to die, understand? I know how strong you guys are, that's the reason why I have chosen you to do this!" Red explained, smiling his confident smile as he commonly would do so when he figured a mission or request should go well.

"I can provide you guys with some custom made weaponry, but if you would like some heavier armor I could spare some providing I get some monies for my generosity." One of the Irkens piped from the controls he stood at. He was standing a few feet behind Shinx. Shik turned to the Irken, then walked over to him to speak about the offer.

"B-but...this is dangerous..." Cola pleaded.

Suddenly, he felt a soft claw clench his left shoulder. He snapped his head up to see the rather tall Shinx smile down at him. "As long as we stick together, we'll be strong." He said reassuringly.

Lexi came to the right side of Cola, placing her own claw on this shoulder. "Yeah, it'll be fine! We have been together since we were much younger, we can handle anything!"

Turning his head to one Irken, then the other, Cola then smiled up at Red. "Alright, Sir! We will not fail you!" He said, now feeling more confident.

"That's the kind of attitude we need, Cola!" Red exclaimed, his smile genuine. Panning the area around him, he looked upon each and every hard working Irken in the room. Though the leaders were lazy sometimes, and though they seemed pushy, even heartless, they truly cared for all of the Irkens in their magnificent empire. The Tallest didn't have an easy job, their job was quite hard, and it called for a lot of pain, blood, and sacrifice.

"Alright, guys!" Shik's informative, young voice called out, grabbing the attention of Shinx, Cola, and Lexi. The three looked over to see Shik's head and half of his body was buried under a pile of armor and weapons that filled his unsteady, struggling arms. "Let us go!!" He cheered.

The three chuckled a little, then crowded around Shik to each take some of the supplies. Red snickered a little himself before turning to the giant screen on the wall. He levitated to his chair and sat down, his eyes glancing at Purple's empty seat before resetting upon the screen.

Unnoticed by anyone else, one of the Irkens off to Red's far left was sitting in front of a computer. This Irken had his concerned purple eyes locked on the screen as a status bar in an otherwise blank window filled. Then, the words "Communication Link Established. Status: Stable." appeared across the window.

The Irken leaned forward, his fingers fidgeting nervously. "So...what's the word on Ace? Has he been beheaded?" He asked, a built in microphone being his connection to the other he was speaking to.

"....No." The voice responded.

~Akrious / City Underneath / Grand Prison~

Sitting on the floor of a cold prison cell was the infamous Ace. His icy glare made the freezing air of this area feel as though it were a warm, tropical paradise. He had not moved from his position for over a day. His skin was wrinkled and tight against his already skinny body. His bizzare black eyes with their white pupils were tired, and even bags had formed beneath them..In short, he was an absolute wreck in dire need of water, before he died. He had been given a mouthful of water several hours ago, and his body had been barely running on this.

Outside of his cage stood a familiar Irken. This Irken was the tallest guard that spoke to Zim during his crash landing on this planet before. The guard peered over his shoulder at Ace, not really feeling any pity for the guy, but not happy that he had to watch this creature sit there rotting away in the cell.

Lifting his head to look at the ceiling with his impatient sigh, he wondered when he would be able to go sit down. He had been standing in this same position for hours. 'Ace...he's been sitting in this cell waiting for his private beheading, but...' His gaze then reached the door, where his antennas wiggled at the faint sounds of chaos...

~Akrious / City / Grand Meeting Hall~

A stack of papers slammed down onto the enormously long table, followed by two clawed hands stamping down against the top pages of the stack. Leaning over these papers was an Irken. "NO!! Yorikiyosha will be decapitated first! We must concentrate on destroying what is in our way currently!" The Irken snapped, her leering red eyes never loosing their cool colors in any form.

"Yorikiyosha can kiss my ass and wash my Squeedly Spooch!" A very short, yet adamant Irken piped from her location on top of a chair's seat. "Ace dies first!"

"We must eliminate all Akrians OUT of our grasp!" A short, male Irken shouted from his standing position near the door.

"All Akrians we GET our hands ON are our top priority!!" A female Irken yelled from her own position. This one sat in a chair backwards, tipping it every so often. "Killing them will place the others in a tizzy of FEAR!"

"You are all WRONG!!!" A rather fierce voice spewed from a male sitting on top of the table. With his feet swinging back and forth, he observed everyone carefully with his bright red eyes. "We need to focus on finding Akria!"

"Akria is DEAD!!!" The tiny Irken shouted, jumping in the air from her seat.

"Shut up, Smeet!" He barked back. "I know what I'm saying, and I do not believe she has died!!" He added in.

"You're crazy!" The small Irken piped. She then turned towards the girl with the papers. "What are those supposed to be anyways?!"

"FILED REPORTS!!!" She snapped, suddenly pushing herself off the pile so she was standing straight up. She then quickly grabbed a hold of the bottom of the stack, then pulled the papers, causing the whole pile to fly around the room in a flurry. Holding up the few papes that remained in her hand as some dropped, she waved them around. "HELLO?!! We need to do our HOMEWORK, you little brat!!" She screeched.

"WHAT?!" The little Irken jumped up onto the table top. "Do you THINK I know NOTHING?!!" She yelped.

"You APPARENTLY know nothing! Yorikiyosha is a CEREAL IRKEN MURDERESS!!! That means she's bad, and needs to DIE?!!" She snapped, dropping the pages in her hand onto the table.

"Yeah, and ACE has killed PLENTY of Irkens in his lifetime, too!!" The little Irken retaliated.

"Oh, do you want to bring this outside?!" The taller female asked, her hands landing on her hips.

"This is already happening INSIDE, bitch!!" The small female answered, before lunging at the taller female. They both started to claw randomly at each other, mainly targeting each other's face of stomach areas.

The short male approached the female sitting in the chair. She looked up at him with an angry frown. "Striking with fear is our only SMART option at this point! They are too hard to restrain and aren't even WORTH wasting space in the jail cells over!" She snapped.

"But there are other Akrians that must be stopped!" He replied.

"Ace is - ow! - our top - augh! - pri-oo-rity right NOW!!" The small Irken shrieked even from her combative situation, which was now becoming bloody.

"We need more control than we currently have, though!" The seated female exclaimed.

"Control is not possible without elimination!!" The male piped.

"Control!!"

"Elimination!!"

"Irk must rule ALLLL!!!!" The other battling Irken screamed before kicking at the other.

The male Irken sitting on the table sighed at the ludicrous behaviors the others were exhibiting. "So immature..." He mumbled slowly.

"YOU'RE BLEEDING ON MY ARC PORTFOLIO PAPERS!!!"

The male Irken's hand covered his face.

~The Massive / Floor 17 / Sick Bay~

The double doors automatically opened, and Dib helped Zim walk inside. Looking around, Dib saw that the Sick Bay had beds with Irkens resting in them, but a large amount of beds were available for use. Dib brought Zim over to one that was only a couple of beds down from the door, and to the right. He Helped Zim lay down, and then he pulled the blanket over Zim.

"Dib..." Zim started, but only received a strict stare from Dib's eyes.

"No Zim, just rest. I'll go fetch a doctor." He said sternly.

Upon watching Dib walk away, Zim pondered what had just happened. 'So...he touched my PAK again. Still, he has to be careful...especially with mine. I hate to admit it, but...I know for sure, something is...horribly wrong with me. I know what I am...there's no denying it. But....Dib...something is so....ni-'

"Here he is!" Dib yelped, jumping into view in front of Zim's bed. Zim could only smile, feeling himself slipping into darkness, watching as black swirled with his environment. "Zim?" Dib asked, cocking his head to the side as he watched Zim's dull eyes stare at him.

"Dib..." Zim called, his right hand reaching up, almost trying to touch Dib, though he was feet away from Zim.

The doctor poked his head around the curtain which was drawn in a straight line. He nodded at the sight of Zim. "He only requires some sleep. His condition will heal within a half hour."

"Doctor!" The random voice of a pained Irken called. Glancing over at the Irken who called for him, the doctor Irken then looked back at Dib. "You may stay with Zim if you wish. Don't be afraid of any of the sounds you may hear, we have open surgeries here." He said, before quickly making his way to a needy patient.

Dib then turned his gaze from the doctor to Zim. Zim's hand was still in the air, his sight blurring more and more as darkness took over his vision. With a sad, slightly worried smile, Dib pulled the curtain half way around it's trek, then walked over to Zim's bedside. He saw a lonesome chair against the curtain, and he pulled the chair up to the side of Zim's bed. He then sat down on it, and looked down at Zim's face.

"...You okay?" Dib asked, unsure of what else to do. His eyes were stern and filled with that brilliantly burnt-orange hue.

Zim's hand reached over to Dib. 'Dib's my...friend.' His hand found Dib's, and he gripped it as tightly as he could, which wasn't very tight at all. 'My...only...friend.'

"Zim..." Dib's eyes were packed with concern as he watched Zim slowly close his own.

"Dib...I promise we will go...star surfing...together..." Zim mumbled, confusing Dib, but making the boy smile anyways.

"Alright, Zim."

With a small twitch of his antenna, Zim slipped into the black. Dib stayed in his seat, watching over Zim as he earned some well deserved sleep.

~The Massive / Floor 22 / Bridge~

"Wait...Rockaxe...you're saying that they didn't just put him to death in the first place?" The unnoticed, communicating Irken asked from his seat at his computer.

"While Ace's neck was stretched across the box, an Irken ran out and called for the whole execution to stop. Since then the five Irkens in the Grand Meeting Hall have done nothing but fight, and nothing is getting done because of that." The Irken on the other line responded.

Rancid sighed exhaustedly as he shook his head. "But what about-"

Suddenly, the other line turned completely into static, and Rancid jumped. "What is this?!!" He yelled, confused as to why this would happen. He noticed that two other Irkens that were speaking with members from Akrious were also experiencing the static problem that he was. "Are our pathways clear?!" He asked.

"Yes sir!" A random Irken responded from her post at her own computer. "It is Akrious! All transmissions to and from Akrious have been cut off! It appears that the entire planet is experiencing problems!!" She snapped.

"Try PAK communication!" Another Irken suggested.

Rancid opened his PAK, and brought forth his communications screen. He opened it up, but all he saw and heard was static. He then retracted it back into his PAK. "We aren't even able to communicate via PAK, anymore?" He asked.

Red was staring at Rancid with dismay. 'I sent Shik, Shinx, Lexi, and Cola to Akrious....and we can't even contact anyone that's there?' Biting his lip, the Tallest stood up, receiving a few worried glances and stares from some of the staff members.

"Irkens, we need to gather some allies, and storm Akrious." Red announced, all of the Irkens in the room looking up at him. "Send the Space Detectives, Sky Explorers and the Star Surfers Squads I, II, and III. I want to know what is going on at Akrious!" He said.

"Yes Sir!" Five Irkens responded from their posts. They immediately started to contact the units Red ordered out, as the other Irkens went back to their normal duties.

Rancid, the Irken that had been speaking with one of the Irkens on Akrious, turned back to his computer. His big eyes were filled with concern as he shut the window out, with a single click of a button.

~The Massive / Floor 6 / Hallway~

Sitting on a bench in a spacious part of the hallway was Gaz. In the tight grip of her sweaty hands were the Irken Claw Gloves, and beside her leg on the floor sat her bag. Beside her was GIR, who was mindlessly staring up at a television scrolled across the wall before him as he chomped on a taco.

Gaz figured that Zim would contact her and GIR through the communications system linked between his own PAK and GIR. Gaz recalled seeing Zim scream at GIR on the screen or via mic every once in a while, so she was in no rush.

But, something was seriously bothering her. In the pit of her stomach, she felt that nasty feeling of her insides tightening as her hands could only grip the gloves tighter. Her eyes were not focused on the television, no...she was watching Squilegee's room door. It had not opened since she left it, and he had not left to return to his post, as he said he needed to.

'He seems to be nice...but he's very odd...pretty creepy...something doesn't feel right about this...'

With an exasperated sigh, Gaz leaned back on the bench, getting into a comfortable position, but still staring blankly at the door leading into room F17...

~Akrious / City Underneath / Grand Prison~

The guard overlooking Ace's cell stood staring down at the tall Akrian from his post. In his hand was a large lance, the common weapon that Irken guards wielded. He shook his head, foot stamping the ground below him impatiently.

His antennas then flickered as he picked up on the sound of quick foot steps. Turning to face the stairs, he watched as the other guard that Zim encountered on Akrious ran up to him. "Rockaxe?" The guard watching Ace asked.

The guard that had just run into the room leaned over to rest his hands on his knees as he panted hard. His own lance was missing, and he wasn't even wearing a helmet. He was also inches shorter than the guard watching Ace. "Ah...Corners...I just came from the library..." Rockaxe started, still catching his breath.

"Yes?" The taller guard Corners asked.

"I was talking with Rancid, and suddenly the computer shut off!" He exclaimed. He slowly pulled himself into an upright position, letting his claws dangle freely at his sides. "All of the computers in the room shut off! Something is wrong!!" He explained.

"All of them shut off? At the same time?" Corners asked.

"Yes, and they won't turn on, either!" Rockaxe said. He turned his eyes on Ace. "I bet the Akrians ARE up to something fishy, like you suspected when we got here." He said with a small nod.

Corners' hand gripped the tall steel handle of his lance a bit tighter. "Something is certainly strange about this planet..." He whispered.

~12 Minutes Later / The Massive / Floor 17 / Sick Bay~

Dib was still right at Zim's side, his hand still holding Zim's. His eyes shifted around the part of the room that was still visible, since he had pulled the curtain half closed. Dib had found himself mesmerized by the advanced medical technology of this race. They had some Irkens hooked to complex machinery, most by their PAKs, but once in a while someone would have almost their whole body covered in metal and cords. Yet some Irkens would limp in, be injected with a shot, and run off excitedly. He was astonished at how simple or complex these procedures were, only to have perfect results afterwards.

Dib looked down at Zim's face, surprised to see that all the the cuts he had had already closed. Of course they were still on Zim's skin, they hadn't just magically healed, but some of his cuts were pretty big, some deep.

"I broke my arm!! Doctor, assistance, please!" The voice of a female Irken filled the room, drawing Dib's eyes. He saw the Irken calling for help stop directly in his line of sight.

Her arm was apparently broke, and in a quite awkward position. Dib watched as the doctor from earlier walked in front of her. He lightly gripped her upper arm, looking over the arm. Then, with a smirk and a quick motion, he grabbed her lower arm with his free hand, and shifted them hard to reconnect the bones. She yelled out in pain, but then gritted her teeth to cease her outcry.

"Alright then, I'll apply a cast." The doctor said. He then turned away from her and walked out of Dib's eyesight, and only moments later, he returned with a sleeve. It was covered in brown fur that protruded from a strange, leather-like skin. He slid it on her arm, tugging it lightly down her arm. "Ah, the latest cast Irkens and Vortains have created! It is made from the tough hide of the Servantias that guard the mountains of The Anti-Serpent Server planet. Gosh, I know that the false rumors flying about when it comes to that planet, but the truth is, the Tallest can't find anybody brave enough to infiltrate the place and claim it! The Armada can't snuff out the Servantian guards, meanwhile the remainder of the planet WANTS to come under our wing to repair from their war with the Luxoritians! With the Akrians running after us and the planets everywhere having their share of problems, the Irken Empire is in complete and utter chaos!"

The female blinked twice at him, then turned to walk away, muttering a kind thanks as she left. Dib eyed the doctor curiously until he walked out of his vision. Then, Dib looked down at the green hand he held. He could feel the warmth of the hand, causing him to blush slightly at the thought of that Irken who was once his most hated enemy, and now he was his friend. This alien that once wished to dominate Earth revealed no kindness or care...yet now, Zim obviously did care and he was kind.

Dib saw Zim's closed eyes scrunch, then relax. He then opened them, blinked twice, and focused his red orbs on Dib. "...What the hell are you happy about?" Zim asked, taking his hand roughly from the Dib.

Dib gave Zim a puzzled look. 'I was...smiling? What?' Dib shook his head, opting to disregard Zim's question. "Are you alright?" Dib asked.

"Definitely!" Zim said, sitting up. He shifted his head with ease, cracking some of his neck bones loudly, then proceeded to crack his knuckles when he finished with his neck. His eyes retrained themselves on Dib's. "We need to report to the Tallest." Zim said, though Dib recognized this as a command.

"Alright, let's go then." Dib said, standing up. He picked up the chair and placed it against the curtain, then walked around the curtain, and out of Zim's way. The Irken slipped off his bed, pulling the blankets back for the next Irken who would lay there, then he walked over to Dib.

The two then left Sick Bay, to go speak to the Tallest, as they had originally planned.

~The Massive / Floor 22 / Security Room~

Sitting in a chair with his skinny arms crossed over his chest was Tallest Purple. He stared at one of the many security camera screens deeply. On the screen he stared at was a small group of Irkens who suspiciously stood in a circle in a dark hallway. They were discussing something, but the cameras on the Massive didn't record sound, and that was because the sounds would combine and become far too loud, as they learned the hard way.

"These Irkens were acting very strange." A tall Irken in a red coat said. This Irken stood just slightly over half of Purple's height, and his eyes matched the same hue as Purples. "There have been various reports of strange activity for the past week now." He cleared his throat, then quickly licked his upper lip a little. "The worst part is that...we don't know any of the Irkens exhibiting these strange behaviors."

That was true, on the video feed, every Irken speaking in the circle was silhouetted by the dark hall. Purple sighed, tilting his head back to look at the Irken beside him. "Pop, this is bad. What if they are plotting something? That brown out earlier tossed the ship into a frenzy!" Purple said.

"I know. Tell you what, I'll set up a schedule to order the guards to start patrolling the entire ship." Pop said.

"That's a great idea!" Purple exclaimed. "While you're at it, why don't you make the guards perform room checks once everyday? That should help us snuff out those suspicious Irkens."

"Sure, I will!" Pop said with a nod of understanding. He then started to head towards the door.

"Also Pop?" Purple called.

"Yes?" Pop asked, stopping and turning to look at Purple.

"...Could you bring some popcorn when you're done?" He asked.

Pop smiled. "Sure, Tallest Purple." He then left the dark room, leaving the Tallest to review the tapes more for clues or answers.

~Massive / Floor 22 / Bridge~

Irkens were working hard, as the sounds of clicking, beeping, shoes hitting metal, and the two digits attached to Red's hand drumming against the arm of his chair filled the room. Tallest Red was anxiously awaiting any reports from the Irkens he sent to gather allies. He sighed, staring blankly at the large screen before him.

"Tallest..Red?" A little Irken asked, drawing the eyes of the taller down to her. "Um...are you..okay?" She asked in her odd, squeaky voice.

"We need to get more allies together so we can take out the Akrians. I have the search squads already out, and the Invaders are working on conquest over their assigned planets." He sighed, his left fingers rubbing his temple. "I'm just stressing. Bring me a drink, please..." He said.

"O-Okay." She stuttered, then rushed off to get him a drink.

Then, the doors leading to the bridge opened. Zim and Dib walked inside, and over to Red's chair.

"My Tallest!" Zim piped, Red turning his chair to face the two Irkens. "Dib and I have come."

Red smirked, his head resting on his loosely fisted hand. "Dib, come forth." He said.

Dib walked forward, staring with wide eyes up at Tallest Red. Before Red, Dib knelt, head down, eyes closed. "Dib, the half Irken, half Human..." Red began. "Will be dubbed an Invader, and will partner up with Zim, from this moment on!" He emphasized his words with a quick swing of his arm.

All of the Irkens in the room were staring at Dib, in fascination twisted with shock. Dib then stood up, eyes still closed and head still down.

"Since you are an Invader now..." Red started, arms folding as he leaned back in his seat to get more comfortable. "You would be given a SIR unit...if you were an Irken. But since you're not an Irken, you will be given something else."

"Something else?" Dib asked, his head lifting and his eyes opening.

"Why, yes. Because you humans require air, nutrients, food, water, and other assorted needs, you will be suited with a unit with far different functions, and yet, similar functions." He sharply inhaled some of the air. "It has weapons and a defensive mode it can access at your command. Aside from that, the structure, and some of the materials it is made out of, this unit is quite unique compared to the other units we have made. Dib, I present to you the ALSIG Unit!"

Zipping this was and that, then landing beside Dib was an amazing craft from Irken technology. Dib could only stare wide-eyed at the ALSIG unit at his side. It was shorter than his own height, and would stand at the height that GIR's antenna reached. The metal feet and hands were quite small, it's legs and arms lengths matching well with their short reach. The body was sleek, skinnier, yet smaller than a SIR's body, and it's head was also smaller than a SIR's. The head had a more oval shape, it bore no antenna, and it's large eyes were built into the head. It's eyes, a huge spot on it's chest, and the bottom of it's feet were lit up in purple. This robot also had a tail that was extremely long, but very thin, and it wrapped around it's feet on the ground some. Rather than having a white body, the entire body of this SIR was black.

"It's name stands for Advanced Life Supporting And Information Gathering Unit. It is a prototype, the only one we have made as of now. It will keep you, and any other human or Irken alive in space, or on other planets. Aside from that, you will find that this unit is very strong and helpful for many things. There is one small fault I ust tell you about, though..." Red said, eyes locked on ALSIG.

"What is it?" Dib asked, eyes also on the robot.

"It's...kinda moody." Red said, averting his eyes from Dib and his new ALSIG unit.

"Moody..?" Dib asked.

Dib stared at ALSIG curiously. The unit blinked up at him, then looked over at one of the other Irkens. Dib smirked a little, his gaze rising to Red. "It's fine. I'll take ALSIG and we will venture off to whatever lays in our path." Dib wrapped his arm around Zim's neck, surprising the Irken. "As long as we all stick together, we'll be fine." Dib finished, smiling confidently.

Zim's cheeks turned to a light, faded red. 'Wha...what is this?! Zim is not embarrassed by the human's...friendliness!'

Dib then let go of Zim, allowing the Irken to visibly shudder and internally shake off the strange feeling that just arose. Dib watched Zim's weird shudder with confusion. 'What? Don't Irkens ever hug each other? On second thought...maybe they don't? Oops.' Making a mental note to try not to push human gestures onto Zim, Dib turned to his robot.

"ALSIG, are you prepared to come with us?" Dib asked.

"Yes, My Master!" The ALSIG unit responded, saluting to Dib.

Dib smiled, then looked up at Red. Zim took a step forward, focusing on the mission rather than Dib right now. "My Tallest, what is our assignment?" Zim asked.

Red relaxed his shoulders as his eyes locked on Zim. "Alright, because we need more aid in our war, we will need you two to go to Luxoritia. Request the aid of the Luxoritians, and then report back to the Massive. They are in a war with the Anti-Serpent Server Planet, remember that it could be dangerous if you're there during an attack." Red explained.

"Alright." Zim said.

"Oh, that's right!" Dib exclaimed, then hauled his backpack off his shoulders, letting it plop on the ground in front of him, then falling to his knees to unzip it.

"Do you think we will need violence against the Luxoritians?" Zim asked, his eyes darting to Dib for a second, feeling his his cheeks burn slightly before looking up at Red, still puzzled about that strange feeling before.

"Probably not, the Luxoritians aren't hostile, and I'm guessing they will be easy to persuade." Red said.

"Good." Zim said. "We must get help quickly. We must." He added, giving gestures with his claws before folding his arms and nodding.

"Got it!" Dib yelped, his fisted hand shooting up with Earth's Deed in its grasp. "Tallest Red, will this do?" Dib asked, referring to the fact that he had to give Earth to the Irken Empire.

Red took the curled paper from Dib's hand, and unraveled it to reveal it was, indeed, the Earth's Deed. He smiled, nodding to Dib. "This will do. Thank you, Dib." He said, handing it to an Irken that was standing nearby, who then rushed it off to the Important Document's room on the ship. Dib then zipped up the bag and pulled the straps on his shoulders.

"Zim, Dib, and whoever is going with you, please be careful, and take that planet!" Red said. "We need to stop the Akrians!"

"Yes Sir!" Zim and Dib said in unison, causing to two to look at each other awkwardly. Then Zim shrugged, and started to leave, being followed by Dib, and his quick stepped ALSIG unit.

Rancid, who sat over at his computer, looked over his shoulder nervously at Tallest Red, he then curled his body a bit as his head dipped down, almost lower than the keyboard of his computer. He was hiding his communication device that his PAK held, and trying to maintain a secret conversation with...someone.

"So...Tak's there?" Rancid asked.

"Yes." The other voice said.

"Cola, Lexi, Shinx, and Shik are also going there. So are most of the search teams." Rancid said.

"Yeah, well, nothing will work if Zim, Dib, and Gaz aren't there." The other voice said.

"I know, I'm working on it. I'm glad I have this position." Rancid said.

"You're LUCKY you have your position! Do you know what it's like to clean the Massive's toilets all day? It's DISGUSTING!!" The other voice hissed back.

"Hey! It wasn't easy getting this position!" Rancid harshly whispered back. "Anyways, what have you heard about...the Earthlings, anyways?"

"Oh, the shrimps that hi-jacked a space shuttle and took off for Devostatia? I don't know, but I think they are in for one hell of a wake up call. I doubt they will even survive the trip there, let alone that filthy planet." The other voice responded.

"Hmm...I still find that strange..." Rancid scratched his chin a little, before shaking the thought off. "Anyways, when I get anymore details, I'll contact you. Rendezvous on Floor 18 during the late slumber hours."

"Got it."

With that, the communication link was disconnected and Rancid retracted the communication device int his PAK. He then straightened up and started his work for the Massive's data banks, something he would normally do.

~Earth / Dib's Home~

The front door opened slowly, and in stepped Professor Membrane. He scanned the room, surprised to not find Dib watching Mysteries Mysteries Of Strange Mystery, which always aired at this time. He then took some steps until he stood in front of the couch, still looking around.

"Hmm...oh well, I guess he went to see his sister at the hospital..."

In the corner of the room, hung an empty picture frame on the wall, the glass cracked. Professor Membrane never noticed this, and instead proceeded to the door again, to leave. He left the house, locking the door behind him.

From the shadows of the kitchen, a bone chilling laugh arose. Sitting on the floor was a small figure silhouetted in the black. "Heh heh heh...Dib, you don't realize the HELL I'm about to put through you. I'm going to rock your nerves until they SNAP!! HA HA! Snap like you did SOOO long ago~" Though it could not be seen, his wide grin could be heard in his voice. In the silhouette's hand, was the picture from the empty frame.

~The Massive / Floor 6 / Hallway~

"Dodi, dodi, do you like the monkey?!" GIR asked a short Irken who was now sitting next to him on the bench.

"YEAH! I watch this show ALL the time!!" The short female cheered.

"WOO!! I like you!" GIR shouted, pounding the air with his fist energetically.

"I like you, too! Let's be friends!!" The female yelled, holding out a bag of Irken M&Ms, which the Irkens inventively name N&Ns.

"YAAY!!" GIR reached in the bag and pulled out a lot of the small candies, then started to snarf them down quickly.

In Gaz's other was a black book that was opened to only the first page. Her eyes were still locked on the door to Squilegee's room. She had been looking at it so long, her vision was violently shaking the door, as though she were in the midst of an earthquake. The Irken had never left his room. Not once. She didn't know why it bothered her so much, but it was something that made her feel both confused...and worried.

Gaz sighed, stuffing the book in her bag, then zipping it up. She had put the gloves in her bag a while ago, sick of holding them like they were her lifeline. She instead stood, and pulled her bag's straps over her shoulders. She then started to walk towards room F17, slowly.

Her feet slowed to a stop before the door, and she stared at the doorway, wondering if she should knock or not. She fisted her hand, and started to bring it forth-

"Gaz?" The sound of her brother's voice brought Gaz's fist to a halt, before even touching the door. She then turned to see Dib and Zim standing a couple of feet away, and beside Dib stood a small, black and purple colored robot.

"Uhh..?" Gaz asked.

"This is my ALSIG unit, Gaz!" Dib boasted, his hands landing on his hips in what he thought was a heroic fashion.

"Whatever." Though the glaring eyes remained, Gaz smirked very slightly at her brother. 'Oh, wait until you see what I brought along for a weapon.' She thought deviously, biting back the urge to laugh diabolically and bring worry to the half human.

Zim stared at Dib with confusion. His eyes darted back for a second, over his shoulder and upon his PAK. 'Once it's fixed...I won't have anymore glitches! I have to fix it! No more of the strange...sensations, or whatever you would call them! NO MORE!! Zim is no one's! Zim is an INVADER! I AM ZIM!!!'

"Zim?" Dib asked for the third time, eyeballing Zim oddly. Zim's eyes snapped open as he stared at Dib, then noticed he was standing on the back of the bench with his fists shot towards the sky.

"YAAAAAH!!!!" Zim dramatically fell backwards, landing roughly on the seat of the bench, his foot kicking GIR's leg.

"You fell!!!!" GIR screamed, then started to laugh insanely and point at Zim, causing the female Irken he chated with to start laughing as well.

Dib and Gaz smirked at each other, then Dib walked over to Zim. He held out a hand to the Irken, who only glared at it, then bounced off the seat himself. Zim then started to walk towards the elevator. Gaz followed after Zim soundlessly, leaving Dib to grab GIR, and pull him away from the girl, who GIR started screaming "BYYYYYYEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!" to. ALSIG followed after Dib quickly, Dib feeling himself impressed with the little robot. Once they were all inside the elevator, it started to lower at a perfect rate.

~Akrious / City / Grand Meeting Hall~

"Ow, Ow, OWW!!!" The tiny female screeched at the male Irken applied a medicinal spray to her bloody cheek. "That hurts, Mik you bastard!"

"I wasn't the one who told you to fight with..her!" The more talkative male snapped, pointing at the taller female who was being bandaged by the other female who still sat on the chair. "You chose to fight with Gora! YOU did!"

"Well, that's because Gora doesn't KNOW anything!!" The tiny female screamed, her cheeks turning red before she sighed.

"I'm sitting RIGHT HERE!!!" Gora snapped. "YOU'RE the one who knows NOTHING, Tiny!!" She yelled, then pouted.

The female sitting on the chair rocked it back a bit, then eased the feet of the chair to the floor. "I know your not happy, but we all have different opinions. We need to figure out our next move, rather than fight about everything." She cooed.

Gora looked up at the female. "Yeah? Well, Oulan, what ideas do YOU have?" She asked.

"Uhh..." She shook her head. "I haven't any, but we can't just fight about everything.

The male sitting on the table thoughtfully stared at the door, like he was waiting for it to fly open or something. Then, the door did in fact fly open, and the knob smacked the wall hard. This made every Irken in the room look up.

"So, here you are. This is perfect." Tak said, grinning a toothy grin. The male sitting on the table smirked.

~The Massive / Voot Cruiser Dock / 4 Minutes Later~

Zim, Dib, Gaz, GIR, and ALSIG all walked out of the elevator. "It was cramped up in there..." Zim grouched, rolling his shoulder to relax the muscles.

"It's because of Dib's big head." Gaz said, smirking evilly at the half Irken.

"HEY!! Why does EVERYBODY think it's big?!!" Dib yelled.

He looked down at his ALSIG unit, seeing it had a scanning device in it's hand. The hand held analysis device was made up of a black handle, with a blue screen attached, and an antenna sticking out of the opposite side of the black handle. The device then beeped, and ALSIG spoke.

"My analyzing device says your head is bigger than most human head by at least a third." ALSIG explained.

"WHAT??!!!" Dib shouted, his face turning red as he became flustered.

Zim started to laugh at Dib, pointing at Dib's head as his hand landed on his knee. "HA HA HA HA HAA!!! I ALWAYS knew you were abnormal!! Even for an Irken!!" His laughing continued as Gaz had found herself laughing as well.

Dib looked over and saw GIR rolling all over the metal floor with laughter, and even his ALSIG unit was chuckling. He just put on an apathetic face, his face perfectly matching the face commonly seen on his shirts. Stuffing his hands in his pockets, he started to walk over to the Voot Cruiser he recognized as Zim regardless of what happened. After obsessively watching and chasing Zim for all this time, and with all the craziness happening lately, Dib had come to identify the ship apart from others, at the very least.

When the group had reached Zim's Cruiser, they had stopped laughing, and Zim's eyes landed on someone he wasn't expecting to see. Beside the cruiser stood the Irken who had improved the ship's weaponry before. His long red coat matched his eyes, as well as complimented their shininess. His great smile was attached to his face as he waved at the group.

"Hello! I updated your ship, fixed a couple of things in it, and I suited it with a morpher accessory!" He said cheerfully.

"Does this mean it's more likely to explode?" Zim grounded out, taking a step forward.

"Yes sir!" The Irken responded, then tossed his head back, laughing.

Zim ran forward, and the Irken jumped backwards, landing on the front of Zim's Voot Cruiser. "It has an 18% chance of exploding now!"

Zim let out a war cry as he jumped up at the Voot Cruiser. The other Irken then jumped off Zim's Voot Cruiser, then landed on the back of another one, facing Zim. Dib watched the Irken curiously. "What the hell is your name?" He asked, just out of curiosity.

"Potion, the master of ship advancement!" He said, giving a small salute to the entire group wit two fingers to his temple, then jumping off the backs and fronts of the various Voot Cruisers, over to the safety of the elevator.

Zim had jumped from the front of his Voot Cruiser at the back of the one Potion was previously standing on, but his stomach caught the edge of the Voot Cruiser, and he was trapped with his torso against the top of the back end, and his stomach against the side.

Gaz sighed, then looked over at GIR. She pointed adamantly at Zim, eyes locked on GIR's. "Help your master." She said slowly and clearly.

"Okey-dokey!" GIR piped.

GIR's head opened up, and a large vacuum sprung from it, and into his hands. Part of it was still connected to the inside of GIR's head, so GIR turned it on, and a huge gust of air started to pull Zim towards GIR's vacuum.

"AAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GIIIIRRR, SSSTOOP!!!" Zim yelled, his body sliding back inch by inch, until his suddenly flew back.

Gaz then grabbed a part of the cord and squeezed it tight, cutting off the flow of air. Zim landed harshly on the ground, right in front of ALSIG and DIB. "Damage report...minimal." ALSIG said.

"Orrrrwwwwwhrrrrrrrrrrrr........" The muffled groan of pain that came from Zim's lips caused Dib to look over at ALSIG.

"Pain report...it sucks to be Zim right now." ALSIG said, his hand scratching a low area of his head that his hand could actually reach.

"Hey! You want to play?" GIR asked ALSIG, the vacuum cord in his head again.

"Alright, what do you want to do?" ALSIG asked.

"Zim, can we please get going?" Gaz asked, impatiently crossing her arms.

Zim got up on all fours. "Yes, yes, we shall go." He said, then standing up, his PAK opened the Voot Cruiser's top. Zim jumped up onto the front of the ship, then jumped over to the driver's seat.

Dib and Gaz then jumped over the front of the ship and directly inside, while GIR chased ALSIG inside. The top of the ship then closed down, and Zim gripped the steering wheel. To his right sat Dib, to his left sat Gaz, and ahead of them awaited a planet in need of quick conquest.

* * *

kay, I know this chapter took forever to come out, but I've been busy with school, overcoming two sicknesses at the same time, and planning a lot of stuff out. Now I know what kind of path I'll be taking with this story now. I really hope you all are enjoying it, and everything will come together in the end, I promise. I also promise that I WILL finish this story, just be patient. Thank you all! ^^


	16. Covered Truths

The Irken And The Earthling's War And Love  
Chapter 16  
~Covered Truths~  
_[ZaDr]_

Zim's Voot Cruiser lifted up, and it started to move towards the entrance area. Gaz looked over to the left, and eyes eyes widened as they stared outside the window. There on the ground below stood Squilegee, who jumped backwards onto the hood of a Voot Cruiser behind him, and his hand rose up. He started waving to Gaz, his grand smile spread across his face.

Gaz's eye twitched as she watched him, but she lifted a hand, barely giving him a wave at all. He then dropped his hand, and turned around. He jumped off the Voot Cruiser, and headed for the door, exiting the room before the air lock opened.

Behind the door that Squilegee rushed through, the Irken stood with another. This other Irken...was Rancid.

"Rancid, what have you heard?" Squilegee asked, his left hand fishing through his pocket quickly.

"Okay, apparently some really strong...force, is encasing the world. It almost like some type of barrier, and it's stopped all of our communications with the planet." Rancid said.

The two Irkens grew a bit quiet, Rancid's foot moving a bit across the floor. "Furthermore..." Rancid started, breaking their uneasy silence. "Ace is alive." He said, eyes nervously shifting up to Squilegee's.

Squilegee's eyes grew large as fear welled up in his eyes. "Ace....is alive?" Receiving fast, rapid nods from Rancid, he jumped up a couple inches off the ground. "WHY?!!!" He shouted before his feet connected to the floor.

Rancid cringed. "Th-the Irkens overlooking the capture and aftermath of Akrious can't make up their minds. All they do is fight, and now, we can't stay in touch anymore....oh Squilegee, this is horrible!" Rancid cried, throwing his arms out.

"Damn!" Squilegee balled his fist up. "DAMN IT!!" His fist then shot out to the wall, the crushing force of anger and hard training denting the metal wall in a few inches.

"Squil..." Rancid's voice faded off as he stared at his comrade.

Squilegee lowered his head, eyes shutting tight. "We need more information. Get everyone working on it." He said sternly.

"Y-Yes sir." Rancid saluted before taking off down the hall.

"Please...let my theories be wrong..." Squilegee whispered, before removing his hand from the wall. Blood was staining his glove, but he ignored it as he headed down the hallway.

~Akrious / City / Grand Meeting Hall~

Tak was now standing on the table, her SIR unit right at her side. She shot a finger out to Gora, the taller female that had been previously fighting with the short one. "Go set up the guillotine." She commanded.

"Uhh..." Gora's confused voice arose.

Tak ignored her and shifted her pointing finger to the shrimpy Irken named Tiny. "I want you to assign guards to more spread out areas." Tak shifted her finger to Oulan. "You need to put the resisting Akrians in their place. Kill them at will."

"What if we don't want to?" Oulan asked, folding her arms.

"Oh, you haven't a backbone, have you?" Tak asked, the smirk only able to be heard in her voice, not seen on her face.

"Maybe I just don't want to?" Oulan asked. Her words actually meant that she refused to be bossed around by some other Irken she hadn't ever even met.

"Listen." Tak's voice spat harshly. "I don't care what you want to do. We are in the middle of a war, and we need to get moving before the Akrians win." She said.

"The Akrians are mince meat already!" Oulan yelled. "The leader died! Their planet is ours! They aren't a threat anymore!"

"Don't be so sure." Tak grunted. "Now GO!" She swung her arm, gesturing Oulan to the door.

Giving Tak a dirty glare, Oulan stood from her chair, then walked out, followed by Tiny and Gora. Tak then turned her head to Mik. "Go check on Ace. We need to make sure that bastard is still alive." She ordered.

"Alive...? Why do we want that blood-thirsty killer alive?" Mik asked.

"We don't want him alive, but if he is still alive, he must die immediately." Tak said.

"And Yorikiyosha..?"

"She is already dead, Gora is a fool." Tak explained. "I checked Yorikiyosha before coming here, she's been dead for two days."

With a firm nod, Mik left to check on Ace.

Tak then turned to the remaining Irken, who sat on the table smirking. "Thanks for coming, Tak, MiMi." He said.

"Yes, I know. The Control Brain explained the condition of this planet to me." Tak said.

The male stayed silent for a little bit, his eyes shutting as he started shifting uneasilly. "The barrier around this planet is growing stronger, you know." He said.

"I know that." Tak said.

"Aren't you scared?" He whispered.

"I'm not scared, Halen." Tak said.

"Even if this planet entraps you? Even if you cannot get out? Even if everyone that comes to this planet dies?" His sly voice asked.

"I will die for the Irken Empire if I must." Tak snapped, her foot stepping forth.

"Really now?" Halen opened his eyes, staring Tak down. "Do you know...what's coming?" He asked.

"What?" Tak asked, her eyes glinting dimly.

The Irken stood up on the table. His grin cracked into a twisted smile as his eyes remained locked on Tak's. "Do you promise not to tell?" He asked in an innocent voice.

"I won't tell anyone." She said, MiMi nodding in agreement.

"Akriantrous." He said, his eyes and smile growing slowly.

~Zim's Voot Cruiser / A Small While Later~

Gaz was reading a book as she was attempting to forget about the creepy Squilegee. Zim was so into his steering of the ship, that he was blocking everything else out. In the back of the ship, ALSIG was chasing after GIR in a huge circle.

Dib's boredom grew more as his eyes remained locked on the phone he held in his hand. He had texted Agent Tuna Ghost a while ago, and yet she wasn't responding. With an unhappy sigh, he shoved the phone in his pocket.

"What's....the matter...?" Zim's spaced out voice asked.

Dib rolled his eyes as the Irken asked this. 'This is the fifth time he's asked. Can't he just shut up and drive?' Dib wondered. 'He obviously hasn't heard me, so I'm not going to bother answering him.'

Dib stared blankly out the window, at the stars that rushed past their speeding ship. He propped his head up on his hand, elbow firm against the arm rest of his chair. His eyes glanced at a small monitor by his knee, which said they were nearing Luxoritia. He couldn't figure out why, but since he left the Massive, he had been feeling down, and sluggish.

His eyes shifted over to Gaz. 'Why...why is she so skinny? I never noticed it until being away from her for a while...how long has she been like this? She looks too skinny, and since she came back from that hospital...she's been more pale. Aside from that...I've felt....a bit nervous around her. But...why? She's my sister. I've known her all my life.'

Dib bit his lip, recalling what Gaz said back on Earth...

-

_"I...know what you're going to face...at least a little bit of it, anyways. I'm sorry...please....don't trust Invader Zim...."_

-

Dib's eyes widened, that statement was just hitting him now. 'What...did she mean? What will I face? Why...can't I trust Zim? Why would she...say that?'

Dib shook his head, putting aside the thoughts of Gaz. His eyes shifted to Zim. 'And what about Zim?'

-

_"Dib, there's something..."_

_"Because! Loud is better than quiet."_

_"Hey, that wasn't MY fault! I wasn't created thinking I would blow the planet's power!"_

_"Oh, and I suppose you'll blame me for The Irken Sniper Training Camps exploding as well?"_

_"I should not have been so angry with you. Just keep your eyes and hands off of my PAK."_

-

'Zim....I know there are things you want to tell me, that you won't. I know that your past is a mystery to me, but I want to unravel it. I know your PAK is important, but....I want your trust. I want your friendship. I will be your friend if it KILLS me.'

Dib felt his whole body jolt as ALSIG fell onto his lap. ALSIG was sitting with his legs over Dib's as he looked back up at his master. "Can I sit here?" He asked.

"Uhh...yeah?" Dib said, still a bit surprised at the random action. He shrugged it off to look back and forth between Gaz and Zim, as his free hand hung limply over the arm of the chair.

Minutes of silence passed. Gaz then neatly placed the book down on top of a button less part of the control panel. She reached down to her backpack and unzipped it. From it's dark depths she pulled out the Irken Claw Gloves.

"Hey, Zim. What do you want me to do with these gloves that you made me get earlier, anyways?" Gaz asked, looking them over.

"Uhh..." Zim's voice started as he leaned back in his seat slightly to view the stars a bit better. "You can..." He glanced over at them, studying them for a moment before turning back to the void of space seen through his window. "Eh....whatever. Just keep them. They are useful weapons, and made of very tough material. I think they will serve you well." He managed to say, before going brain dead again as he allowed his driving to absorb him.

Gaz then lifted her head up to Dib. Dib caught her stare with his own eyes, his hand propping his head up starting to rub it a little with his fingers. "What?" He asked in a quiet voice.

"I - uhh..." Gaz then shook her head, and slid the gloves on. Instead of mimicking Zim's appearance, she slid her black hoody's sleeves over the gloves that reached up her arms halfway.

"How do they feel, Gaz?" Dib asked, glancing down at ALSIG to see him smiling and staring out the window to Dib's right.

"They fit...perfectly." Though she said it as though she were amazed by it, her eyes held horror in their depths. 'What...what the hell?? WHY do they fit me so well? Even the glove fingers are just the right length! This....this is SO weird...' She thought.

"Okay." Dib said, not even noticing how freaked out she was. She then grabbed her book again, and started to read it quickly, attempting to calm her mind. He just turned his head back to the front wind shield, his head still propped up perfectly.

"Three....more minutes..." Zim said, his spaced out voice back again. Dib smirked a little at the Irken.

"Soo..." Dib began, glancing over to his right to see GIR standing there, staring at ALSIG. "What is the plan when we get to Luxoritia?" Dib asked.

"Uhh....what do you mean..?" Zim managed to ask.

"Well, a planet in the middle of a war isn't exactly safe to be on, and rushing in blindly isn't smart." Dib said. "We should do what we can to try to stop the war, or at least give the Luxoritians a boost or something."

Zim nodded slowly, eyes blank of emotion.

"It would be great if we could help them stop their war." Dib said, shifting slightly.

Zim's nodding became a little slower.

"Maybe we could create a peace agreement between them." Dib suggested.

Zim's nod stayed at the same, steady pace.

"I hear that the Anti-Servantians want to be ruled by the Irken Empire." Dib said, his expression sinking a bit.

Zim still nodded, which wasn't pleasing Dib anymore.

Dib's entire expression, including his body language, dropped. "Or maybe we should just blast their brains out." He spat.

Zim completely stopped nodding, and Dib rolled his eyes with an annoyed sigh. Then, Zim's eyes grew ever so slightly, and the ship suddenly started to fly down. "WE'RE HERE!!!" Zim yelled, a finger raising in the air as he steered them down to the planet with his other hand.

Dib dropped his arm and lifted his head up to watch the atmosphere of the planet encase their ship. His eyes studied the planet, seeing that the air had some...odd, small, floating debris spewed everywhere. This debris was small and white, but so plentiful that is we quite noticeable. The air also had an odd, greenish tint to it. To Dib, this planet had death written all over it.

ALSIG looked up at his master, and smirked at the concern on his face. "It will be fine my Master. I am an advanced life supporting and information gathering unit, I'll keep you and Gaz alive." He said.

"How?" Dib asked, watching as ALSIG slid forward and sprung off of his lap. His feet hit the floor, then ALSIG spun around.

"Like so." ALSIG then zipped around the floor, Dib watching as he saw ALSIG's pace quicken. The blurbs of black then split into two zipping blurs. One rushed at Dib, and the other at Gaz.

Both latched onto Gaz and Dib's backs, forcing them both to scoot forward in their seats. The blurs were then revealed to be solid metal parts that were formed in a half-oval shape stretched across both Gaz and Dib's back. The finishing touch ALSIG added to this caused both Dib and Gaz to scream loudly. ALSIG plunged a cylinder-shaped piece of metal into the backs of both siblings. From the wounds, around the metal that was inserted into their backs, the two of them started to bleed. Then, they felt strange, fleshy, but cold substance shifting inside their bodies. The shifting soon stopped, only to leave the two feeling very disturbed and a tad uncomfortable.

"Alright." Dib heard ALSIG's voice from the metal on his back. "I just split myself into two parts, and I have now attached myself to both of your bodies. I'm hooked up to every part of your bodies that cannot function correctly on this planet. I will now be performing every function that you humans will be unable to perform from this point onward. Aside from that, I have some of my skills in which I can use to assist you, as well as I can speak to you both. Obviously, I am limited since I must remain working on your bodies and keeping them functioning, as well as filtering them from anything unusual substances that may taint them. But I am not able to do everything for you, so do not expect me to try."

Dib observed the half of ALSIG on Gaz's back, then his eyes widened as he came upon a realization. "So basically, you are acting as a PAK!" He yelped, noting that even the shape of ALSIG on their backs formed that of an Irken PAK.

"Exactly." ALSIG said.

"That's cool!" Dib yelled, his hands flailing up in the air.

"Alright." Gaz closed her book, putting a small bookmark in place, before she placed the book in her bag.

The Voot Cruiser then slowed, and eased down to the ground below. Zim then turned around in his seat to look back and forth between Gaz and Dib. "ALRIGHT!! Are we prepared to take on this planet?!" He asked enthusiastically.

"Yeah!!" Dib yelled, pulling fisted hands inward.

"Uh...sure." Gaz said, much less excited than the other two.

"FINE!!!" Zim's fist slammed on the button that popped the top of the ship open. The button was almost never used, but Zim did have a habit of differing his actions and plans, as Dib knew from experience.

Zim unclicked his belt and jumped off of his seat, followed by Gaz, and Dib. Zim jumped over the hood of the Voot Cruiser as Dib and Gaz gawked down at their backpacks.

"Umm...ALSIG, what about our bags?" Dib asked.

"Hmm..." ALSIG then transformed his body on both Gaz and Dib, lifting it up so that their backs and shoulders weren't being touched by him, aside from the metal struck into their backs, which was high enough to avoid the backpacks from even touching them. Dib and Gaz then pulled their backpacks over their shoulders, and both halves of ALSIG's body fell down over the backpacks.

"Alright, now I'm basically doubling as your backpacks. If you need something, just ask or think it, and I'll take it out for you guys, much like how Zim's PAK will pull out his communication devices or his night vision goggles." ALSIG explained.

"Wait, think?" Gaz asked.

"Yes, I can read your minds because of my connection to your bodies. Though when I'm separated from you, I will be unable to do that. Only when I'm, internally linked to a target can I read their minds." ALSIG responded.

"Can you communicate telepathically?" Gaz asked, arms crossing as she jumped up onto the hood of the Voot Cruiser.

"No." ALSIG simply stated.

"Good." Gaz said, jumping down next to Zim.

Dib then jumped over the entire hood completely, and landed a bit roughly on the ground. "Man, you sure are strange - but cool!" Dib said to ALSIG.

"You haven't seen half of what I can do." ALSIG said in a bit of a mysterious voice, a smudge of pride mixed in.

"YAAAAHOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!" GIR schreeched as he jumped out of the Voot Cruiser, only to trip over Zim's foot.

"GIIR!!!" Zim snapped, before using his PAK to close the Voot Cruiser's top. Zim then shook his head, his teeth tightly clenched as he watched GIR stand up.

"I can fly!!" GIR said, stupidity the only thing Zim could see on the robot's face.

"No, GIR!! You can FALL!!!" Zim yelled.

"AN IRKEEEN!!!!!!" A loud, youthful voice cried out from afar. "IT'S AN IRKEN!!! THE IRKEN EMPIRE HAS COME TO OUR AIIIIIIID!!!!!!"

Gaz, Zim, and Dib turned to watch as a very unusual creature rushed up to them. It was down on all four legs, and came to a screeching halt before them. As though in a trance, Dib looked the entire alien over.

It was covered in fur that was green, a very slightly lighter shade than Zim's own skin. The alien looked much like a lion in structure, it even had a mane that covered it's entire neck and the top of it's head, which was black, but shorter than that of an Earth lion. It's tail's tip was decked out with black fur the same shade as it's mane, and spread over it's back were three rigid, lime green stripes. Dib then locked his eyes on the alien's, noting immediately that it had large, hunter green eyes.

"So...you're a Luxoritian, right?" Zim asked, his head tilting slightly down to see it's face a bit better.

"Yes! I am Carter, the Luxoritian guard of Temple Aire. We have been in the midst of a war with the Anti-Serpent Server planet, as I am sure you are aware. We have been having much trouble with them." Carter said.

"Yeah, that is whhyyy...." Zim quickly slipped over beside Carter, and placed his claw on the Luxoritian's shoulder blade that ran perfectly across his upper back. "I would like to off you the Irken Empi-"

"Offer! That's right!" Carter cut Zim off, the Irken giving him a questioning look. Carter turned his head slightly up to Zim. "It has been so long since we have had guests, I almost forgot our customs! Please, allow me to let you and your friends stay here at least a night." He asked.

Zim hissed softly, not wanting to turn down a kind offer, but knowing his obligations. "Uhh, well we-"

"We will provide a large banquet of food." Carter pitched in.

"Okay!" Zim agreed happily.

Dib slapped his face with a soft sigh.

~The Massive / The Bridge~

Red sighed from his chair. He was sitting there filling out a form that was stretched out across a clipboard on his lap. He then handed it to an Irken hovering over him. "Thank you, Sir." The Irken said.

"Yeah, your welcome. And tell him to hurry up with sending us those extra Vortain Ships they recovered!" Red ordered.

"Yes, my Tallest!" With a small salute, the Irken scurried away.

"Yeah, and he better fricken do it this time. It's already been seven days since those ships were recovered, and we need everything we can get our claws on..." Red muttered to himself as he slumped in his seat.

"Uhh..." Rancid's voice arose, drawing Red's eyes to the smaller Irken.

"What is it, Rancid?" Red asked.

"It's....uh.....Devastis." He mumbled.

"What?! What about Devastis?" Red asked, concern lofting through his voice.

Rancid went mute, gawking at his computer's screen for a couple of seconds. "There's an Akrian's ship hovering over it...."

~Luxoritia~

Dib scanned the landscape as the group walked. The environment was covered in lush green moss, not a blade of grass to be seen. There were trees with oddly shaped leaves, and many vines hanging down from the very wide-spread branches and leaves that created a blanket, blocking out some of the sky. Dib's eyes retrained themselves on Carter and Zim, who were walking side-by-side. He realized that the Luxoritian stood about two inches shorter than Zim, on all four legs. That made Dib's eyes grow, his awe over how big these aliens were surfacing.

"Our town is up ahead." Carter said. "My temple is located there."

"Uhh..." Zim scratched his head. "When were you guys last attacked?" He asked.

"We were attacked about two weeks ago." Carter responded.

"Uhh...okay." Zim said.

Dib eyed Zim oddly. 'Why is he acting weird?' Dib wondered. He had noticed that Zim had been completely avoiding eye contact with him the entire time they were on the planet, and the fact that Zim completely ignored what he said on the Voot Cruiser kinda upset him to a point.

"Perhaps Zim is angry with you?" ALSIG whispered to Dib.

"Huh?" Dib asked, then remembered that ALSIG was currently capable of reading his mind. "You think so?" Dib asked his ALSIG unit quietly.

"It's a logical reason for him to be acting the way he has been." ALSIG responded.

Dib then thought back to the Massive. 'Let's see...I touched his PAK, I hugged him...' His eyes bugged. "Maybe he IS mad at me?" He asked ALSIG.

"Like I said, it's logical."

While Dib was worried over that, Gaz quietly walked beside GIR. She glanced over at GIR, watching the robot fiddle with a random stuffed pig that he had pulled out of his head minutes ago. She shook her head, not bothering to ponder about it. Then, she smirked, the pig reminding her of her own weapon that she brought along.

"Is that the town?" Zim asked, pointing to a mass of buildings that the group was coming up to.

"Yes!" Carter said. "Com'on!" He then bolted ahead.

Zim, Dib, and GIR rushed forward to catch up with Carter. Gaz shrugged before running after them as well, not embracing the idea of being left alone on this unfamiliar planet.

When the group reached the town, they saw that it was quite unique from any place they had ever been to before. The buildings were made completely of wood, they were pretty low to the ground, only reaching mere feet above their heads, and the doors were just slightly shorter than the ceilings. There were not many buildings either, only twelve in sight. Aside from that, many Luxoritians were walking about the area, many of which wore pieces of armor. The armor they wore mostly consisted of broken pieces, some on their shoulders, a few on their backs, others had just small chunks of metal wrapped around their legs or paws, and not all of them had armor on, either.

"This planet is small, it doesn't even compare to half the planets out there, really. We have been struggling so much with this war....anyhow, let us cleanse our minds of this, shall we?" Carter suggested, facing the group, which they in turned stopped before him.

"Why?" Zim asked.

"Well, it is in our customs to welcome our guests, help them rest at ease, and then worry about important matters afterwards." Carter said. "Our ancestors have kept that tradtion, even throughout the Forbiden God Wars..."

"Forbidden God Wars..?" Dib echoed, giving the Luxoritian a curious, confused look.

"The For-"

"Don't speak." Zim said, cutting Carter off.

Dib looked up at Zim, who still would not look at Dib. Dib even went so far as to walk a couple steps forward, stopping right at Zim's side, but the Irken only looked at Carter, his eyes stern, and frown plastered in place.

"Why?" Dib asked Zim, his voice reflecting a slight bit of anger.

"It isn't anything that you need to know about." Zim spat.

Dib looked over at Carter, who stared at him with concern filling his eyes. "Then you tell me." He ordered.

Carter only had time to inhale sharply before Zim's voice cut through the air again. "No." He grounded out.

Dib then turned to face Zim completely, his glare completely locked in place. "Why the fuck are you doing this to me?!!" He finally yelled, arms flying up into the air.

"BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT OF IRKEN DESCENT!!!" Zim screamed, finally turning to Dib.

"Wh...wha..?"

"You are basically an OUTCAST!!! You aren't green skinned! You don't share even the same eye color as we have!! You haven't been alive for even a fifth of my existence! You haven't the right to know everything!! You haven't the right to know ANYTHING!!! KNOW YOUR PLACE!!!" Dib's eyes grew slowly as Zim screamed on. "You may have Irken blood in your veins, but you weren't always like us!!!"

Dib backed up a couple of steps. That's when, to everyone's surprise, Gaz stepped forward, and stood defensively in front of Dib. "That is enough, Zim." She spat, glaring the Irken down.

Zim gave her his own trademark glare, before turning his back on her in a huff. "Whatever. Carter, just...take us somewhere." He said, waving Gaz off.

Gaz only continued to glare at the back of Zim's head, before allowing her apathetic features to return as she looked back at Dib. He was gaping at the ground, the shine from the dimmed sun weak against the glass of his visual aids. The group then started to move forward, a claw belonging to ALSIG reaching out from his back and tugging on Dib's sleeve to awaken him to reality, which lead him to quietly follow after the rest of the group.

They walked deeper into the town, Dib watching as the other aliens of the planets stared at them as they passed by. 'I guess I'll have to get used to this...' He thought. 'The aliens of a new planet will usually stare, especially on a planet in the middle of a war.'

His eyes then focused on three Luxoritians gathered in an awkward circle around something. He saw that there was one Luxoritian with all of the same features as Carter, but with a mane that ran from the top of it's head, and ended between it's shoulder blades. He had noticed that a few less than half of the Luxoritians had that difference, and he guessed that it was the appearance of their females.

He watched as the small group of Luxoritians pushed each other around a bit. One was then knocked over a couple of feet, and he saw that they were fighting over the carcass of a rather large animal. 'So, I'm going to also guess that they don't like to share much...'

Dib then focused his eyes on Zim, and since he was behind the rest of the group, he allowed himself to show a bit of hurt in his facial features. 'Zim...he's been angry with me a lot lately...but why? One minute, he's really cool to hang around! Then the next minute arrives, and he's ready to beat me until I'm nothing but a bloody pulp! Why? Why does he change into a totally different person every time I turn around?!'

With an exasperated sigh, Dib shook his head, wanting his mind off of the confusing Irken. 'I just can't understand him...what he's doing....nothing...'

"Dib." He heard his sister's voice call.

"Yes?" Dib asked, quickly rushing to walk beside her.

"I want you...to talk to Carter about the war going on. Try to find out what you can do for the Luxoritians, and how you can just get them to sign on with the Irken Empire. We need to get this done quickly, so we can get back on to tracking down the Akrians." She whispered to him.

Dib nodded. "I will Gaz." He said.

She didn't give even a slight reaction as they neared the temple that Carter had mentioned earlier. When they reached the bottom of it's rock platform, the humans of the group stared up in awe at it.

"WOW!!! INCREDIBLE!!" Dib exclaimed, the words almost removing his breath completely.

It was a very solid wooden structure that stood very tall. It had stairs that lead up to two large doors on the top of the rock platform. Then there were stairs that lead from a higher part of the structure to doors in the middle of the the structure. At the very top, there was a platform beneath an expansive canopy of trees that stood higher than the temple itself. On that platform, there was what looked like a super-sized grail, and sticks stuck out of the inside of this grail-like object. The sticks appeared to be set up so they would support some type of small object, but there was nothing for them to support, so it made them look somewhat out of place.

"It IS pretty cool." Gaz admitted, also awe-struck.

Zim, the only one not gawking up at the structure, shrugged it off with a cocky smirk. "Our Monkey shrine is more impressive." He said.

"Monkey shrine..?" Dib asked quietly, looking over at the Irken.

"Let us not fight over our religions, please!" Carter snapped at Zim.

"Sorry." Zim said seriously, looking at Carter. "Anyways, where is it..?" Zim asked.

"Nevermind, I'll explain that after we feast. Come now." Carter said.

Dib's blank expression tugged a small chuckle from Gaz's lips, before he jerked his head up to Zim. "What??" He asked, arms flailing off to the sides.

With an annoyed sigh, he trudged after the group. They walked up to the two large doors, and before Dib had the chance to open the doors for the bound-by-paws Carter, the Luxoritian simply walked off to the side of the doors, and gripped a vine hanging down from the roof that sheltered the doorway in his jaws. He tugged down on it, and the doors opened up slowly.

Carter then released the vine, and walked inside. "Com'on! It'll shut if you stand there for too long!" He said, looking back at the group.

Then, Zim, Gaz, Dib, and GIR walked inside, and the doors slowly drew until they shut. The inside was huge, and very pretty, made up of smooth wood and a stone flooring.

Carter lead them over to a far larger room than the already spacious entry room. In this room, there was a wide table with steaming, heaping plates of freshly cooked meat. Every plate was stacked with meat only, which made Dib realize that the Luxoritians were carnivorous. The thought of it made him, and only him, a bit nervous.

"It appears to be good." Zim started. He then rushed over to the table, and pulled a plate in front of him. He took a small part of the meat in his claws, then tore it apart from the remainder of the meat. He popped the small chunk in his mouth.

Dib watched intently as Zim chewed it quickly, then swallowed it just as fast. "So..?" He squeaked out, his voice tight.

"DELICIOUS!!!" Zim announced, then picked up the slab of meat and started to eat it quickly.

Dib then rushed over to the table, pulled a plate over to himself, then sniffed at it. The scent was quite strong, and it smelled delicious. He looked up at Zim, seeing him ravenously tear a strip of meat off the slab with his sharp teeth, only to quickly pack it down.

"It's good." Dib heard Gaz say from his left.

Dib stared at the contents of his plate blankly. "Hey, ALSIG." He whispered to the robot on his back. "Is this stuff safe to eat?"

Dib heard a winding sound on his back, followed by a soft click. He then watched as a small red light scanned over the meat, only to disappear within seconds. "This is safe for you to eat even without my system filtering abilities." ALSIG said.

Dib listened as the winding sound arose again, only to be cut off by another click. He guessed that ALSIG had used some sort of tool or something to analyze the food. "Irken technology..." Dib said, shaking his head before digging into the food himself.

"Dib, you must realize that my filtering system works to some degree, but there are things that would prove very dangerous to your body even with my abilities, so being cautious of your actions." ALSIG said.

"Dangerous..?" Dib asked, before biting into his food again.

"Yes. If you were to have poison injected into your body, I would be unable to help you. If you eat something that your body cannot handle, I also will be of no use." ALSIG explained. "That is why you need to make sure you have anything you are ready to consume analyzed beforehand, because one wrong decision, and you could easily die."

Dib perked up at that. "Wow...I hadn't really thought that through. Alright, I'll what what I eat from this point on. Thanks, ALSIG."

"Yes, Master Dib." ALSIG said.

The group continued to eat, everyone grabbing more plates of meat to fill themselves. When they had finished, Carter moved towards a door opposite to the doors they had entered through.

"Alright, come with me. We have one more tradition before we can sit and talk things over." Carter said. The Luxoritian then pushed the door open with his head, able to do so since it was set up on hinges that allowed it to swing back and forth freely, effortlessly.

Gaz shrugged to Dib and Zim, and the group moved towards the door. Gaz took this time to scan GIR curiously, wondering why he hadn't been acting normal...which in his case ment acting haywire. She shook the thoughts away as she and GIR caught up with the rest of the group.

Through the door was a narrow, poorly-lit hallway. At its end, the group had found a rather large room. There was a beautiful statue against the far wall, one that stood very tall above them. This statue had been created of a strange material much like marble. It appeared to be a giant version of a Luxoritian, but with longer fur that completely cloaked its body and a large tail that wrapped around it's body four times then fell lax in mid air.

The group gazed up at this statue in awe, even GIR seemed entranced by it. Zim, who had previously seemed unimpressed by the building, now seemed to be gaining some interest. "Hey! Is this your leader or your God?" Zim asked, turning to Carter.

"This is our God, Luxoritia!" Carter exclaimed proudly.

Dib was leaning backwards, gaping at the statue. He then felt something ooze down the side of his face. He realized it was his own drool, so he quickly wiped it away, hoping that Zim hadn't caught that. 'Wait! Why do I care about what he thinks?!'

Dib then turned to face Carter and Zim. "Wait, your God and your planet share the same name?" Dib asked.

"Yes." Carter said, nodding.

"Why?" Dib asked.

"Well, uhh...." He paused, looking a bit lost. "I don't know, actually." He said, gawking at Dib like he should be the one providing the answer.

Dib cast the Luxoritian a strange look, kinda starting to feel a bit strange just by being there. "Uhh...yeah." His voice faded off as he glanced over at Zim.

Zim was looking around the room at the walls, some of which had either claw marks or cuts in them. 'Hmm....so they never replaced the walls or anything...they just left all of the damage that had been done to this place during the God Wars, huh?' He smirked slightly as she started at two parallel cuts across thewall he stood near.

Dib then looked over at Gaz, seeing that she now looked annoyed as she randomly had decided to pull out her game platform and had started to play Game Slave III. He then looked back over at Carter, who was staring at him.

"We bring guests here so we can see what they think of our God. This determines whether you're safe to be around or not." Carter said.

Dib stared blankly at Carter for a couple of minutes. "And how do you determine what we think of your God?" Dib asked.

"If you stare up at the statue, you're safe. If you are uninterested, you aren't." He paused as Dib's eyes widened at the word "aren't". "You all are safe." Carter quickly added, observing as Dib eased a bit.

But Dib's eyes still remained on the Luxoritian. 'Woah...'

"Hey Carter!" Zim called the Luxotiain from a spot closer to the statue. "Come here! I want to talk to you!" He said.

Carter then trotted over to Zim, leaving Dib to stare nervously at the floor where he had previously been standing. '...Are these guys...even safe to be around?' His mind wondered. 'Safe...if I wasn't staring at the statue, I wouldn't be "safe". That....that's not a comforting thought at all.'

Dib then turned towards Zim, but his head turned to the hallway. His eyes caught a shadow move in the hall, unable to make out what that shadow in fact was, thanks to the poor lighting. He then noted that there were some strangely-glowing rocks packed into the ceiling of each room that shined light into them, but the majority of light came in from the windows. That hall had no windows, and it was quite dark. This made Dib wonder what the planet looked like at night, considering their sun weakly lit the planet to begin with. Dib knew that was because they had a white star, but it was very far from their planet. White stars give off around the same amount of light as their own sun back on Earth, so since their planet was at such a distance, it was much darker.

"Dib?"

Dib then looked up to see his sister standing before him. She was questioning him with her eyes before averting them back to her handheld. "Zim called your name about five times. Go see what he wants." She said.

Dib glanced back at the hallway once more, the shadows now at rest. He cocked an eyebrow before looking away and heading over to Zim. The Irken sat against the wall, as Carter was sitting in front of him, and the two were chatting. As he drew closer, Dib caught on to a clip of the conversation.

"...our supplies are so low, and we have Luxoritians beating each other bloody for food every day. This is getting ridiculous! We can't..."

Carter closed his mouth slowly as his head turned up to Dib. Dib looked down at Zim, who was now looking at him with a determined expression.

"Sir Carter!" A young voice called.

The group turned to the hallway, where a shorter Luxoritian came charging in. With metal covering half of her green chest, this frail beast halted a few feet away from Carter. "The Servantians just ambushed a group of our Luxoritians! The only one to escape came here in a bloody heap. He said that the Servantians are advancing towards this temple again!"

"DAMN!!!" Carter roared, and rushed past the female towards the hallway. She quickly followed him, and Gaz, GIR, Zim, and Dib were left alone in the lage temple.

Dib as currently standing next to Zim's stretched out leg, staring at the hallway again. He started to move away from Zim. "We should go hel-"

Dib froze in his tracks as he felt a strong grip on his wrist. Dib turned back to Zim, his face now puzzled as he searched Zim's eyes for an answer. He could see Zim's eyes had a solid appearance, which made him unable to determine even the Irken's emotions. Zim only stared back into his eyes, only further confusing Dib.

War cries could be heard from outside as Gaz suddenly turned her handheld off, then slipped it into her bag. "Com'on, GIR." She ordered.

The small robot followed after her, still acting unusual. When they had left the room, Dib felt Zim's claw loosen. Zim then slid his hand down the human's. He then clenched Dib's hand in a tight lock.

"Z-Zim?" Dib asked, staring at him.

Zim then suddenly jerked on Dib's hand, causing the human to fall forward. Zim had complete control even from his position, and he turned Dib as the boy fell. Dib plopped down roughly on his ass, but as a result of this, his head was tossed back and smacked the wall hard.

"Owww..." Dib groaned as he rubbed the painful area on the back of his head. He turned his head to Zim, who was staring blankly at the wall opposite of them. "Zim..?"

"...Look. I'm sorry about what I said earlier." Zim said.

"...Really?" Dib asked, eyeing the Irken suspiciously.

"Yes. I have been....in an unusual condition as of late."

"What..do you mean?" Dib asked, confused.

Zim narrowed his eyes. "It's not of our concern, just know that it is being delt with."

Dib could only stare at Zim, completely confused. Zim then suddenly stood up, and bolted for the hallway. Dib turned his gaze to the giant statue.

"I...just don't get it." He said, now speaking to ALSIG, whether the robot knew it or not.

Suddenly, Dib jerked his head up as a loud shriek reached his ears. The soft, muffled sounds of screaming and various slams could be heard echoing from the end of the hallway. He immediately jumped up to his feet, and rushed towards the hall.

Winding the corner, he ran down the dark hall. As he reached its end, he felt something tell him to stop, so he slowed until he stood staring at the wooden, swinging barrier. He then turned around, and scanned the hall diligently. He saw nothing there, no shadows moving...nothing.

Then, he heard shifting above, and he snapped his head up. His eyes widened.

~With Zim~

Zim rushed down the stairs, and drew his Irken Switch Laser out, and the lance-like blade burst forth from the handle. He halted at the bottom of the stairs, quickly scanning the area.

The Luxoritians were already in the midst of battle. Zim's eyes locked on one of the Servantians. This creature was quite a perfect specimen of the alien species. Long, brown fur cloaked their bizarre, leather-like skin beneath. The Servantians were tall, standing around seven feet high, with their sleek, healthy appearances. Though quite mammal-like, the Servantians had small, yellow irises that encased their black, slitted pupils, and their long, thin tails dragged across the ground due to their massive lengths. Zim concluded that these Servantians were a bit of a mixture between types of creatures, as his eyes scanned their velvety green robes and long, flat-blade spears that they were fighting with.

Suddenly, his eyes darted up to his right just before he lunged himself into the air. A blade just barely grazed his shirt as he avoided getting hurt by the attack. Zim glanced down quickly as his feet planted onto the ground a few feet away from his attacker.

Zim tugged a bit at his shirt, pointing to the long slash across it. "Hey! You ripped it!" He growled before looking up at his attacker.

The attacker was a Servantian that was probably around seven and a half feet tall. His spear was slung casually over his shoulder as it's wide blade gleamed in the poor lighting of the planet.

Zim could only glare, anger growing over the fact that this monster wouldn't even RESPOND to one of the great Irkens! With a sharp cry, Zim charged towards the Servantian with his Irken sword pointed at the Servantian's stomach.

The Servantian lifted his leg and caught the sword between his only two toes, which were very long and ended in long, pointed nails. "Oh COM'ON!" Zim shrieked before he used a large amount of force to slide the foot off his weapon.

With his fangs gritted, Zim swung the laser over his head and slammed it against the ankle of the Servantian. As Zim had done this, the Servantian stabbed the blade into Zim's shoulder, before falling to the ground and pulling Zim down along with him.

Laying on the ground, Zim's eyes scanned the surrounding area, seeing a Servantian fall under the pounces of two Luxoritians. He then watched as a pair of Servantians used the handles of their spears to cripple one of the Luxoritians.

'Dib...where are you?' Was the only thing Zim could think before he gripped his weapon tightly, and jumped up onto his feet.

~With Dib~

"No..." The soft whisper escaped his lips as he could only gape up at the ceiling.

A shadow dropped down before Dib, and with cold eyes the figure drew closer. Stepping into Dib's unclear vision, Dib realized this was an Akrian. Dib then recognized that this Akrian was indeed...Arc.

"What the hell are you doing here?!" Dib yelled defensively, taking a fast step back.

"I'm looking for something~" Arc's sing-songish voice said. "Mind telling me why you're here?" He asked innocently.

"Mind if I don't tell you?" Dib snapped back angrily.

"I do mind, actually." Arc said, tone suddenly becoming eerie, perhaps a bit angry. "So, where are your beloved friends?" He asked, then licked one of his long nails, which Dib noted had some type of dark liquid on it.

"Around." Dib stated, his eyes totally focused on Arc's right claw, which was hanging limply at his side.

"Pity." Arc said. "I would have liked to have seen Zim ...we could have played tag for a while." His odd eyes could only stare at Dib's, though Dib was not even focusing back on his.

"Well sorry, but Zim is busy "playing" with someone else." Dib said.

Suddenly, a loud screech echoed from down the hall, and it tugged a smirk to Arc's lips. "Why aren't you playing with them, Dib?" Arc asked playfully.

"Maybe because you decided to come to this planet to look for something?" Dib asked, smugly.

~With Zim~

Zim's feet touched the ground as a Servantian fell at his feet.

"HAH! Take THAT you Servantian scum!" Zim mocked, weapon pointing down at the foe.

Zim felt his whole inner being jolt as the Servantian rose to his feet again.

The Servantian hissed before rushing towards Zim, spear swinging for Zim's ankles. Zim jumped in the air, and he landed on the very wide blade of the lance as it halted at the left side of the Servantian.

"You're done." Just after saying this, Zim hopped forward and slammed the side of his sword into the Servantian's neck. A loud crack could be heard feet away before the Servantian fell over and collapsed on the ground. Zim jumped down from the Servantian and made his way near the temple.

'I need to fetch Dib...' Zim thought, eyes glancing up at the large temple's top briefly.

Zim then stopped at the bottom of the stairs as the door opened. Gaz and GIR were the ones to step forth from the temple doors, and Gaz stopped in the doorway as soon as her eyes landed on Zim.

"What are they here for?" Gaz asked.

"What do you mean?" Zim asked, glancing at GIR as he reached Zim's side.

"The Akrians...why are they here?" Gaz asked.

Zim's eyes widened. "What?!!"

Gaz suddenly lifted her head, and Zim spun around to see four Servantians running towards them. Zim and Gaz both tensed, before charging towards the Servantians.

~With Dib~

Dib's eyes were now scanning the Akrian's body over, noting that he had spluts of the dark colored liquid decorating his attire, which consisted of a white robe. Dib gritted his teeth as Arc began to talk.

"It sounds like a war out there, maybe Zim could use your help." He said, grin widening slightly.

Dib cast Arc a sideways glance. 'Hmm...something isn't right.' He began to think. 'It's almost like...he wants me to turn around...'

Arc's grin only seemed to grow until Dib though his entire face was splitting in two. That's when Dib remembered one very important thing; ALSIG.

Immediately, Dib took a step forward, jabbing his finger out in Arc's direction. "That's it! You want me to turn around so you can tear ALSIG from my back! I'm right, aren't I?!" He yelled.

Arc immediately lost his snide smile. "You're so smart Dib, let me congratulate you." He snapped sarcastically, then clapped his fingers against his opposite palm a couple of times to emphasize his displeasure.

Dib could feel his neck growing hot, he knew he was sticking himself further into the corner that he had been in the moment Zim left the room.

Arc's body posture switched from calm to offensive, his entire body visibly tensing. Dib knew that this was very bad, but he refused to let his nerves get the better of him. He started to side-step to Arc's right side a little, only to bolt for the exit.

"GET BACK HERE!!!" Arc screamed, before chasing after Dib.

Dib was thankful that the door was hinged to swing back and forth, since it made it easier for him to escape the room. He reached the dinning area, in which he couldn't even force himself to turn away from the table stretched out across the room. But since he couldn't run around it, he opted for jumping on top of it. He ran across the table's top, glad that it was clear of most things aside from a couple of easy-to-dodge objects.

Dib heard the door swing open behind him. He jumped off the table and took off for the front room. Around him he quickly glanced at Luxoritians fighting with Servantians. When he reached the front doors, he found that they were wide open, so he just ran though them.

Dib then realized that there were stairs below him...as he felt his foot slip. The human went toppling down the stairs, landing on his side at the bottom. He cringed, but shook it off then lift his head up.

Hovering in Dib's face, was a shining, silver blade. Behind that, a Servantian leered down at him threateningly. Dib then turned his head back a bit, only to see Arc smiling down at him.

"Dib...I'm going to make you hurt." His cold, vicious voice sent a shiver down Dib's spine.

The Servantian shifted the lance's blade down to Dib's hip, then thrusted the sharp metal into the hip. Dib screamed as he felt the very powerful creature lift his body up using the lance already impaled in Dib. Dib could feel his weight pulling him down, which was only causing the wound to grow in size. This planet had a weaker gravitational pull than Earth, but it was enough to cause Dib to continue to sink slowly.

Dib then heard a couple of clinks. His eyes widened through his screams of pain as he realized that the sound was Arc's nails tapping ALSIG's metallic body. Dib knew that Arc had his hand on ALSIG, and Arc was ready to pull the robot off of Dib's back. If he did that, Dib knew that he would die.

Arc's grin was twisted as he slid his fingers around one of the edges of ALSIG's metallic body. He then begun to pry the robot away from Dib, and Dib's only defense was to scream louder than he already was.

Then, a portion of ALSIG's back opened up, and a flash of black whipped out. It lashed Arc across the chest, causing the Akrian to cry out in surprise and some pain as he flew back a couple feet due to the impact.

"What the hell?!!" Arc screamed as he eyed the cord-like strand of black that was now laying across the ground. It moved almost as though it were alive, twitching and shifting in odd patterns.

Dib leered up at the Servantian before him, pain evident in his face. ALSIG's bizarre whip then shot forth towards the Servantian. It wrapped around the creature's neck so fast and tightly, that loud cracking sounds emerged from it within seconds. The Servantian then released his weapon and fell uselessly to the ground. Without support, Dib fell to the ground as well, landing roughly on his feet. He then pulled the lance out of his skin, and tossed it aside carelessly.

Dib peered down at the Servantian's body for several seconds, before turning to face Arc. ALSIG's whip lifted up, partially wrapping around Dib's body defensively.

"So, are you going to keep looking for that thing, or would you like to keep this up for a while?" Dib asked, crossing his arms with a bit of a victorious grin gracing his lips.

Arc gritted his teeth, only to force a smirk over his face. "I think I'll go searching again, only because that is much more important than quarreling with you."

Then, a gust of wind kicked up as usual. Dib covered his eyes, finding that the dirt on the planet's surface was being whipped around even easier than the dirt on Earth's surface. When the wind died down, Dib let his arm fall to his side as he opened his eyes to find Arc had disappeared.

He then looked down at his bleeding hip, where blood was oozing out of the large tears in his shirt and trench coat. He bit his lip, not all that thrilled, but knowing there was no time to worry about it.

Dib turned around, looking over the battling Luxoritians and Servantians. He didn't see Zim, Gaz, or GIR anywhere. His eyes then lowered to a part of ALSIG's whip which was stretched across the ground at his feet.

"ALSIG, what is this?" Dib asked, eyes glued to the black cord-like weapon.

"This is one of my weapons. It's the easiest for me to weild, and the one I'm best at using." Then, the black appendage quickly retreated into ALSIG's body, and his body closed up. "Thing is, the cord hooks up to your body while I'm attached to you and keeping you alive, so I can't use it for more than approximately twenty minutes. If I do, it will kill you." ALSIG explained.

Dib's eyes gazed at a pair of Servantians cornering one of the smaller Luxoritians. "Alright, thanks for the information." Even though he attempted to say it sternly, his voice held a small amount of fear in it.

Dib then started to advance toward the pair of Servantians. As he passed by the dead Servantian that ALSIG had killed, he picked up it's lance. Finding the weight and length to be too much for him, he gripped the handle just below one of the blades, and his other hand gripped the handle closer to it's center.

"ALSIG, take a moment to slice this lance so I can wield one of the halves." He commanded.

"Yes, my Master." With that, ALSIG's whip quickly shot out of the port, and slashed the wooden handle. The whip then retracted into ALSIG's body.

The handle was split so that over half of it was in Dib's left hand, and the remainder in his right hand. Dib released the half in his left hand, and grabbed a firm hold of the smaller half with both of his hands.

Dib then rushed towards the two, shifting the lance so that the blade was behind his hip. He jumped up into the air a couple feet, and immediately swung the blade. Finding the weight to be a bit too much for his skinny body, the blade cut into one of the Servantian's necks at a very awkward angle. Dib fell to his feet, and the Servantian slunk into a curled position with the blade embedded into it's neck.

The other Servantian turned to face Dib as it's long tail whipped the Luxoritian across the face quickly. Dib felt his eyes grow a bit as the tail actually created a large cut on the Luxoritian's skin, and light red blood began to slide down and soak it's green fur.

Dib then looked back at the Servantian as it hissed at him. The creature began to charge towards him, and he started to jerk on the wooden handle of the broken lance. He found that it just wouldn't come out of the dead Servantian in time. Before he knew what had happened, he felt nothing but wind and a painful burning across his chest.

Dib's torso and chin connected to the ground, and immediately his eyes shot up to the Servantian which loomed over him. It made a strange sound similar to a cackle, which that's exactly what he presumed it was. Dib didn't waste time caring about the bleeding hip, or his now badly bruise torso. In a quick, simple motion, he hopped up onto his feet, only to glare up at the monstrosity before him.

"Get off this planet!" He yelled, then ran towards the Servantian. Only as he took his second step did he realize that he was weaponless. The lance's handle slid out of his hand when he was knocked back a few feet by the Servantian's attack.

His mind quickly decided to try clawing at the Servantian's neck. As he reached arm length of the Servantian, he quickly jumped to the side of the Servantain, and ducked just as fast as the Servantian swiped it's claws over his head. He sharply pivoted on his foot, feeling the sting of twisting his ankle, but blocking it out of his mind.

Dib lunged from his awkward position, and was surprised that his powerless jump was just enough for him to latch onto the Servantian's back. His left hand caught the lower front fold of the green robe the Servantian wore, as his right hand gripped the beast's shoulder.

The Servantian hissed resistantly, but it sounded more like a shriek. Dib started to loosened his grip on the robe, but as he felt something wrap around his waist he quickly tightened his grip on the material again.

Dib's eyes shot down to his waist, only to find the Servantian's long tail was hugging him a bit too tightly for his liking. That tight feeling only grew worse as the tail continued to tighten it's hold on Dib. Dib knew it was trying to crush him, so in response, Dib started to claw at the Servantian's neck with both hands (he was able to do so since the tail was holding him above the ground).

From Dib's low position, he found that he was only able to scratch at the bottom of the Servantian. What's worse was the fact that his clawing was doing absolutely nothing to the Servantian; it's skin was way too tough for human fingernails to penetrate in the least bit.

Dib's mind was becoming frantic as he felt his ability to breathe slip away. He kept clawing at the Servantin's neck even more, which was only resulting in damage to a couple of his own nails. It got to the point where Dib's head began to pound as his eyes became clouded by the darkness that had begun to tease his vision. He felt everything begin to slip away from him.

Suddenly, the tail completely loosened it's grip on him, and Dib fell limply to the ground below him. With the effects of the suffocation he had previously been undergoing still plaguing his body, he slowly lifted his head up. Before him stood Zim, his Irken Switch Laser's lance-like sword gleaming in the soft sunlight as it rested against his shoulder.

"Dib, are you alright?" Zim asked, observing Dib's body quickly, seeing how beaten he was.

"Y-yeah..." The word could barely escape Dib's lips as he only just noticed how heavy his own breathing was.

Zim took three slow steps closer to Dib, which put him closer than arm-length to Dib. Dib could feel himself flinch as Zim's claws suddenly latched onto the underside of Dib's chin. He eased Dib's head up a bit, inspecting the dirt and blood that he had decorating his face in various places. His eyes then shifted to the stitches still bound to Dib's slashed up face.

To Dib, it felt like Zim had just stood there looking it over for hours straight. But then, Dib spotted movement behind Zim. "ZIM!" He shouted.

Zim turned towards the Servantian which was closing in on him. He released Dib's face slowly, only to quickly turn towards the foe, and aim his weapon at it. It transformed into the gun form, and Zim shot at the Servantian's neck multiple times. After about 9 strikes, the foe fell at Zim's feet.

Zim then turned back to Dib, who was staring at Zim, entranced. With an exasperated sigh, Zim gripped Dib's hand, and started to pull him away from the fighting, towards the temple.

As they reached the stairs, Zim's antennas rose slightly at the sound of Dib's voice.

"Where...are we going..?" He asked.

Zim tilted his head, just enough for his eyes to glance at Dib's heavily bleeding hip. "You need that wound to be tended to, Dib." Was his only response as his steps never faltered.

Dib sighed, his composure slouching a bit as he knew he could not fight back with Zim. As the two stepped inside, Dib found that all of the Servantians which had gotten inside the temple were now dead. Sitting down against a wall in the large, main room were Gaz and GIR. Gaz's face was sliced open and she had a few cuts in her clothing. Aside from that the two were in good shape.

Zim lead Dib over to them and pointed to a spot on the floor beside Gaz. Dib silently nodded and took a seat, crossing his legs as he watched Zim intently.

'Zim...' Dib recalled Zim's earlier freak out on him, and though he had gotten an apology from Zim, he wasn't exactly happy about the entire situation. 'Unusual condition...what "unusual condition"..?' Though his thoughts were bitter, Dib knew he was actually worried about Zim. '...He won't tell me shit...'

Zim dropped to his knees in front of Dib. His eyes narrowed at Dib's hip. "Lift up your shirt." He stated promptly.

Dib did as he was commanded, and Zim unleashed the Irken medicinal spray from his PAK. He grasped it in his hand, popped the cap off, and started shaking the can.

The doors in the back of the room flew open, and three Luxoritians came rushing inside, one of which was Carter. "Zim! This is bad!" He called to the Irken.

Zim looked up with confusion, handing the spray bottle and it's cap to Dib. Zim then stood up and walked over to Carter.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"Our planet's God Stone is missing!!" He cried. "The Purple Stone of Luxoritia!!"

Dib was now spraying his bleeding hip with the purple liquid that filled the can. "WHAT?!" Zim's voice reached Dib's ears. When he was done with the medicinal spray, he watched Zim and Carter talk. "You're missing Luxoritia's stone?! How is that even POSSIBLE?!!" Zim asked.

"I'm not sure! It's heavily guarded and EVERYTHING!! But the stone is MISSING! It's been missing for approximately twenty minutes!" Carter exclaimed.

"You fool!" Zim cried, his hand hitting his own face as he shook his head.

"The weirdest part is the fact that no Servantian made it into the room, so it wasn't a case of them trying to take our world's power!" Carter explained. "But all of the guards were knocked out when we reached the room."

"How do you know the Servantian's didn't do it?" Zim asked.

"Because I was one of the Luxoritians who got knocked out." The low-pitched voice of one of the Luxoritians with Carter said. He took two steps closer to Zim. "Whatever the hell that thing was, it wasn't from either of our worlds."

Dib's eyes widened. He quickly got up, ignoring the burning sensation in his hip as he popped the cap back on the medicinal spray can. "I think it was Arc, Zim." He stated.

"Why?!" Zim asked, turning towards Dib.

"Because...he's here." Dib said.

"SHIT!!!" Zim yelled, then tooked straight at Carter. Carter knew that Zim wanted to be lead to the God Stone's resting place, so he bounded for some of the doors in the back of the room with Zim following him closely behind.

Dib watched the two of them leave, then decided to get some answers, finally. He turned his head toward the female and male Luxoritians that were left in the room.

"Alright, I want some answers. What were the God Wars, and what are the God Stones?" He demanded.

The Luxoritians looked at each other, then back at Dib. "The God Wars..." The male started. "Were all a part of the Forbidden God War. The Forbidden God War was a massive war that took place across the entire universe. It is often referred to at "God Wars" because in reality it was a bunch of wars happening everywhere."

"Why were these wars happening?" Dib asked. "What was the purpose?"

"Almost the entire universe was fighting to figure out which of their religions were right. In the end, they realized just how ridiculous things were getting, so every leader gathered at Conventia, and they decided to break off all religions, and keep those religions to their own planets. The war had caused Akrians to loose a vast number in their population, and they have been after the hides of the Irkens ever since." The male explained.

"And the God Stones..?" Dib asked, turning his attention on the female.

"The God Stones have always existed. They are guarded very well on every single planet. They are all different colors, and they posses great power. In the wrong hands, they could bring about disaster..." She explained, bowing her head in dismay.

"There are a few God Stones though that hold the strongest powers." The male spoked up. The female cast him a surprised stare as he continued. "Those are the pure colored stones. You know, purple, orange, black...it goes on. The stones that aren't various shades such as sky blue are very powerful. Just one could crumble worlds, but these stones together..."

Zim and Carter came back into the room as both Luxoritians stopped speaking. Zim walked up to Dib, then stared straight into his eyes.

"Dib, one of the Akrian's got a hold of Luxoritia's stone. That means...we're in some serious trouble." He said.

Dib felt his face begin to pale. Suddenly, his entire body fell limp, and he fall against Zim who caught him.

* * *

I know, this update took forever. I've fallen waaay behind when it comes to updating this story, but I'm not going to stop writing it until I'm done with it. It'll probably take a while to finish...but, I'm not stopping. So, yeah.


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